South Korea and the United States kicked off a major combined military exercise on Monday to strengthen their joint defense readiness in the face of evolving military threats from North Korea.

The annual Freedom Shield(FS) exercise, which will run through March 20, will include a computerized command post exercise(CPX) and field training drills across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. 

The allies plan to conduct 16 outdoor maneuver training sessions during the exercise, up from ten last year.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the exercise will incorporate scenarios that reflect North Korea’s strategies, tactics and changes in military power, informed by an analysis of its cooperation with Russia.

However, the allies will forgo live-fire drills during outdoor maneuvers following last week’s accidental bombing of a civilian area during a related live-fire exercise.