S/ Yokota Akira, NNN Seoul bureau chief / A float-like equipment to be used as a temporary bridge is now being lowered from a helicopter into the river.

The United States and South Korea are conducting large-scale joint military exercises.

In activities shown to the media on the outskirts of Seoul on March 14, troops connected sections of a temporary floating bridge to span a river about 180 meters wide.

After completing the bridge in just over two hours, they moved armored vehicles across.

The drills are being held on the assumption of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula and scheduled through March 19.

Amid the exercises, the US forces in South Korea are proceeding this week with the removal of equipment including the THAAD missile defense system.

The equipment is believed to be redeployed to the Middle East in response to the prolonged situation involving Iran, raising concerns about a potential weakening of deterrence against North Korea.

Meanwhile, North Korea is believed to have fired a ballistic missile in protest of the military exercises.