The U.S. and Japan held joint naval exercises on Monday in response to North Korea’s latest missile launch, deploying Aegis-equipped destroyers in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

Tokyo’s Joint Staff said in a statement that the allies held the drills “amid an increasingly challenging security environment” after the DPRK fired two short-range ballistic missiles that landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone last Thursday.

The U.S. Navy’s USS John Finn destroyer and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (SDF’s) JS Haguro destroyer engaged in “various tactical training” during the exercise on June 19, according to the statement.

Both destroyers are equipped with