Seoul- The United States and South Korean military forces announced Wednesday plans for this year's annual exercises in March, coming amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The combined exercises "Key Resolve" for training commanders and the field manoeuvre "Foal Eagle" will take place March 9-20, the combined forces command CFC said.

In keeping with policy, communist North Korea was being informed of the military exercises, which the CFC stressed were exclusively "defense-oriented."

The South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing military officials, said that some 26,000 US soldiers would be taking part in the manoeuvres, with 14,000 of these to be flown in.

The US aircraft carrrier USS John C. Stennis would also be involved.

The US has 28,500 soldiers permanently stationed in South Korea as a counterweight to North Korea's military forces.

In the past, North Korea has charged that the joint US-South Korean exercises were actually in preparation for an attack, a claim which the US and South Korea reject.

The upcoming exercises take place to the backdrop of threats by North Korea against the Seoul government during recent weeks to annihilate South Korea and to cancel all the agreement seeking reconciliation and to reduce military tensions between the two sides.

In addition, by South Korean accounts, North Korea is now in the process of preparing the test launching of a intercontinental rocket. (dpa)