The South Korean and United States navies have joined forces in the East Sea for an annual combined marine warfare exercise aimed at bolstering their collective abilities to counter maritime security threats and guarantee the safety of sea navigation routes. This was announced by the South Korean Navy on Tuesday, as reported by Yonhap News.
The exercise, which began on April 1 and spanned a duration of nine days, took place in waters off Pohang, located 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The drill featured the participation of nine naval vessels and four helicopters from both countries.
For the first time, the U.S. brought the expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) into the exercise, alongside two other ships and MH-53 helicopters. The 240-meter sea base is designed to serve as a mobile helicopter landing platform and support military operations as an expeditionary sea base.
South Korea contributed six ships, including the Nampo MLS-II minelayer, and deployed a P-3 maritime patrol helicopter and a UH-60 chopper.
"The drill was designed to train the South Korean and American navies to practice procedures and tactics for clearing paths for safe navigation and strengthen their joint response capabilities against complicated mine warfare scenarios," stated the South Korean Navy in a press release.
Throughout the drill, various training activities were carried out to sharpen the navies' proficiency in mine laying, detection, and removal, logistics support, and helicopter operations on a ship, thereby preparing sailors to safeguard crucial harbors and maritime routes under similar conditions.
