(CNN) -- The United States and South Korea on Wednesday plan to end their joint military exercises aimed at warning North Korea to stop acts of aggression.
The military exercises, dubbed Invincible Spirit, are in waters off South Korea. They include 8,000 personnel, 20 ships and submarines, and about 200 aircraft, officials said.
U.S. Defense Department officials said the drills are in response to the March sinking of the South Korean warship, Cheonan, which killed 46 South Korean sailors.
South Korea has said that an investigation concluded that a North Korean submarine fired a torpedo that sunk the South Korea warship, an assertion the North has denied.
The drills are intended to send a strong message to Pyongyang to stop "provocative and warlike acts," the U.S. Defense Department said.
The drills will include anti-sub infiltration exercises, said Cmdr. Jeff Davis of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
CNN
