South Korea and the United States will hold anti-submarine drills next week in the waters west of the Korean Peninsula. The US-led Command today said the five-day exercises starting on September 27 are the second joint military response by Seoul and Washington to the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March blamed on Pyongyang. The allies staged major joint military drills off the peninsula's east coast in late July.In a press release, the Command said the exercises are designed to send a clear message of deterrence to North Korea, while improving overall South Korean-U.S. Alliance anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Local media report, quoting officials from Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said about 10 ships, including two U.S. guided missile destroyers and two submarines, and some 1,700 troops from the allies will be mobilized for the new round of drills.