Korean and U.S. Navies to Conduct Joint Exercises in the East Sea Starting Tomorrow

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Navy will conduct search and rescue training and maritime maneuver tactics training with the British Navy on a humanitarian basis.

On the 30th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the training conducted in the East Sea will involve South Korea's large transport ship Dokdo (14,000-ton class), destroyers, and submarines, while the British side will participate with the latest aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth (65,000-ton class) task force. The British carrier is equipped with eight British Navy F-35B stealth fighters and ten U.S. Navy F-35B fighters. U.S. and Dutch vessels are also escorting the task force, one ship each.

Regarding the inclusion of U.S. fighters and destroyers in the carrier task force, some have raised the possibility of a trilateral training involving Korea, the U.S., and the U.K.

In response, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Boo Seung-chan stated at a regular briefing that "Although forces from the U.S. and other countries are partially assigned as components of the carrier task force, they are not participating in this Korea-U.K. joint training," and added, "Reports by some media claiming a Korea-U.S.-U.K. joint training are not true."

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