Monday, March 20 2023 – 14:52 WIB
VIVA World – South Korea (South Korea) and the United States (US) held a high-tech joint military exercise with increased “intensity and realism”, said the South Korean Army on Monday, March 20, 2023.
They said the drills were part of a combined effort to increase deterrence against North Korea’s growing threat. The drills are taking place at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC), a facility that uses state-of-the-art technology for realistic ground exercises, in Inje, 165 kilometers east of Seoul.
The maneuvers will last through Friday, in line with the two allies’ ongoing Freedom Shield exercise. For the exercise, the US military deployed a battalion-sized unit for the first time.
VIVA Military: South Korean military KM-SAM (Cheolmae-2) missile system
South Korea deployed armored vehicles and reconnaissance drones, while the US brought Stryker armored vehicles and other weapons assets.
The latest exercise was split into two parts of a separate three-day defense and attack operation to increase the “intensity and realism” of the exercise, according to the Armed Forces Service. Previous KCTC sessions were held for four days in total.
“Through this joint exercise, (we) were able to improve joint asset interoperability through tactical collaboration with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team,” a South Korean official said.
Meanwhile, the two allies began their first large-scale amphibious landing exercises in five years on Monday. Exercise Ssangyong will take place in and around Pohang, 272 kilometers southeast of Seoul, until April 3.
The drills have not been held since the last edition was held in 2018, when the previous Moon Jae-in administration sought rapprochement between the Koreas. (Ant/Between)