A group of advanced U.S. stealth fighters deployed in Japan conducted a precision bombing drill for the first time over the Korean Peninsula earlier this week.

U.S. Forces Korea said Saturday that six to eight F-35B stealth fighters from a U.S. air base in Japan took part in the Korean Marine Exchange Program(KMEP), a joint drill between South Korean and U.S. Marines. 

The jets returned to Japan following the drill which is believed to have taken place from Monday through Thursday. The F-35Bs are also known to have carried out their very first precision bombing drill at a shooting range in Gangwon Province. 

The stealth fighters are one of the first assets to be mobilized in a preemptive strike on North Korea in case of a contingency.

The latest drill held near North Korea is viewed as sending a strong message against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threat.

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