SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military will send six stealth fighter jets to South Korea next month for a joint air force exercise, local broadcaster YTN reported Friday citing South Korea's Air Force.

Six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters of the U.S. Air Force will join the South Korea-U.S. joint air force exercise, codenamed Vigilant Ace, which was scheduled for Dec. 4-8, South Korea's Air Force was quoted as saying.

According to Yonhap news agency, the U.S. combat airplanes will fly from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and stay at an air base in South Korea throughout the joint air drill.

It would mark the first time that six U.S. stealth fighter jets make a sortie to the Korean Peninsula.

Three nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carriers conducted maritime exercises recently in waters off South Korea's east coast.

In addition to Raptor fighters, up to four F-35A Lightening stealth fighter jets were likely to participate in the Vigilant Ace exercise, according to Yonhap report.