(VOVworld)- Marines from South Korea and the United States kicked off an amphibious landing operation along the eastern coast, a military official said Monday, the latest in a series of military drills intended to demonstrate the resolve of the allies to counter Pyongyang's evolving threat. The week-long exercise involves some 2,600 Marines from South Korea and 130 of their counterparts from the United States. The troops will be supported by some 10 warships, including Aegis destroyers, and 30 amphibious assault vehicles as well as aircraft, the Navy said in a statement.  A Navy spokesman said that the drill was mainly aimed at countering any maritime provocations by the North near the eastern sea border. The latest maneuver is part of the broader Hoguk combined drill, which the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have carried out since 1996. The two weeklong Hoguk combined exercise will run through until Nov. 11, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff.