South Korea and the United States on Sunday began a large-scale maritime exercise with the US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson as part of their annual joint combat drill, the military said, amid rising provocations by North Korea, Yonhap reported.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived at South Korea's southern port city of Busan on Wednesday to participate in the ongoing bilateral Foal Eagle field training exercise that runs through the end of next month.

"As part of the Foal Eagle exercise, there will be joint maritime exercises from Sunday to Saturday in preparation for possible provocations from the North in the waters around the Korean Peninsula," the South Korean Navy said.

Along with the Carl Vinson, South Korea's 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped destroyer Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, as well as some 60 surface vessels and submarines from the two countries, will join the maneuvers.

In addition to the Foal Eagle combat training, which kicked off March 1, the computer-based war game Key Resolve is also under way for a two-week run.

Pyongyang has long denounced the exercises as war rehearsals for a northern invasion despite Seoul and Washington's assurance that they are defensive in nature.

Source: MENA