The United States and Japan conducted a joint maritime exercise in the East Sea on Monday in response to the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea last Thursday.

According to Japan’s Joint Staff Office on Tuesday, the two nations conducted various tactical drills in the combined exercise mobilizing Aegis-equipped destroyers – the JS Haguro from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the USS John Finn from the U.S. Navy.

This follows their joint exercise in the East Sea last Friday that involved the mobilization of fighter jets.

The South Korean military said that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area in Pyongyang toward the East Sea last Thursday, which fell into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.