The U.S. and South Korea will stage a major joint military exercise for nine days starting on March 8, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed on Sunday.

The allies will conduct this month’s defensive drill as a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX), the JCS stated. It added that part of the joint drill is going to be preparation for the full operational capability (FOC) test, necessary for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the U.S. to South Korea. The FOC test is the second of a three-stage assessment.

This is the first time that the South Korean