U.S. and South Korean militaries launch biggest-ever air drills

• Pyongyang has slammed the joint exercises as a "rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul," but the allies say the drills are required due to the North Korean military launching a record number of missiles this year, Reuters notes.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has also strengthened the country's nuclear policy and said earlier this month that his military's spate of recent missile launches were "tactical nuclear" drills that represented a "warning" to the U.S. and South Korea.

State of play: The South Korean and U.S. Air Forces "will work together with the joint services to perform major air missions such as close air support, defensive counter air, and emergency air operations 24 hours a day during the training period" through Friday, according to the U.S. Air Force statement.

• "Support forces on the ground will also train their base defense procedures and survivability in case of attack."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more details on the latest exercises and further context.