A U.S. B-52H bomber participated in joint training with the ROK air force on Wednesday, as Washington continues a push to deter North Korea and demonstrate its commitment to defend South Korea.

Seoul said the deployment of the U.S. bomber is the 12th this year, and it comes after a B-52H landed at an ROK airbase for the first time ever last month.

“This training demonstrates the expansion in frequency and intensity of U.S. strategic asset deployment to the Korean Peninsula, achieving effects akin to permanent stationing,” the ROK defense ministry stated in a press release.

The drill took place