Camilla Jessen
The United States and South Korea have kicked off massive live-fire military exercises near the inter-Korean border.
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The United States and South Korea have launched three weeks of joint live-fire military exercises near the inter-Korean border. The goal is to enhance combat readiness and coordination as tensions with North Korea continue to rise.
According to Yonhap and Ukrinform, the exercises began last Monday at a military training complex in Bucheon, about 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.
During the drills, U.S. and South Korean forces formed joint combat units, using South Korean K1A2 tanks, American Stryker combat vehicles, M777A2 howitzers, Apache attack helicopters, and A-10 attack aircraft.
The exercises aim to strengthen interoperability between the allies and help newly deployed U.S. forces adapt to the Korean Peninsula’s operational environment.
This marks the second time that the South Korean military and U.S. rotational forces have conducted such drills together, following an initial joint exercise in July 2024.
Previously, newly arriving U.S. units trained separately before integrating with South Korean forces.
The drills come as the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Alexandria, recently arrived in South Korea, underscoring Washington’s commitment to regional security.
The growing military cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea serves as a clear message to Pyongyang, as North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile programs.
