U.S. Defense Department spokesman George Little said Monday that the dispatch of F-22 Raptor fighters to participate in a military exercise in the Republic of Korea (ROK) strengthens military interoperability of the two sides.

Little made the comments at a Pentagon briefing. He said the two F-22 Raptors, as previously planned, have deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan, to Osan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in the two-month-long Foal Eagle exercise which began on March 1.

"This exercise has been planned for some time and is part of the air component of the Foal Eagle exercise," he said. "We believe that this exercise has been extremely successful in shoring up our cooperation with our South Korean allies, and we'll continue to engage with them closely."

Exercises in South Korea, Little said, "send an important signal, not only to South Korea, but to friends like Japan. So that is the focus of our recent efforts."