October 25, 2022 11:43
The South Korean military kicked off four days of large-scale maritime drills in the West Sea on Monday, amid a series of recent North Korean provocations.
The Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard are all participating alongside the U.S. Forces Korea. The drills are part of an annual defense exercise that ends on Friday.
The Navy is mobilizing about 20 warships, including Aegis destroyers and frigates, as well as maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. The Army's Apache helicopters and the Air Force's F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets are also taking part.
They are joined by U.S. Army Apache helicopters and U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft.
The drills aim to practice responding to North Korean provocations near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, and conducting maritime interdiction operations, as well as conducting joint maritime counter-special operations to quickly detect and annihilate amphibious enemy commandos in hovercraft attempting to infiltrate any of South Korea's five northwesternmost islands in the West Sea just south of the NLL.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military has joined a U.S.-led multinational exercise on cyber operations dubbed Cyber Flag, which lasts from Monday to Friday. The U.S. Cyber Command has conducted the annual event since 2011 to enhance joint cyber readiness with allies and friendly countries.
Some 25 countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. as well as South Korea and the U.S. are taking part in this year's exercise.
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