16 Sep 2014

Large military exercise begins on Guam

5:50 am on 16 September 2014

A large US military exercise involving 19 ships, more than 200 aircraft and about 18,000 troops has begun on and around Guam.

The US Naval base at Orote Peninsula, Guam

The US Naval base at Orote Peninsula, Guam Photo: Supplied

The Marianas Variety reports the the biennial joint training military exercise is focussed on intergrating US military forces is scheduled to take place over the next eight days.

The newspaper says troops will practice searching for submarines, stopping suspect vessels at sea, and will provide an opportunity to use a new missile defence system that was recently set up on Guam following threats from North Korea.