[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Ssangryong Training After 5 Years

From the 20th to the 3rd of next month, the British Royal Marines will also participate
Including the deployment of the Ireland, a small aircraft carrier-class ship

The South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps and Navy will conduct a large-scale joint amphibious landing exercise for the first time in five years. For the first time, a company-sized unit of the British Royal Marines 'Commando' will also participate in this exercise.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Marine Corps on the 17th, South Korea and the U.S. will conduct the joint amphibious landing exercise "2023 Ssangryong Exercise" from the 20th of this month to the 3rd of next month around Pohang, Gyeongbuk Province, to enhance the combat readiness posture of the ROK-U.S. alliance and interoperability.

This exercise was initiated following the decision at last year's ROK-U.S. Defense Ministers' Meeting to expand the scale and scope of joint exercises, and it will be conducted for the first time in five years since 2018. Until 2018, the exercise was conducted at the brigade level, but this year it will involve division-level landing forces and about 30 vessels including the large transport ship Dokdo (LPH, approximately 14,500 tons) and the U.S. Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8, approximately 42,000 tons).

The USS Makin Island, known as a "small aircraft carrier," can carry about 1,600 landing marines and a total of about 2,800 personnel, and can accommodate up to 20 stealth fighter jets F-35B. About 70 aircraft including F-35 series fighters, Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and Marine Corps Marineon amphibious assault helicopters, as well as about 50 amphibious assault vehicles (KAAV), will also participate in this exercise.

Additionally, about 40 personnel from one company of the British Royal Marines Commando, a troop-contributing country to the United Nations Command, will participate for the first time, while Australia, France, and the Philippines will observe. In the past, Australia participated in 2013-2014, and Australia and New Zealand participated from 2016 to 2018.

The exercise will proceed in the order of escort operations for the safe movement of landing forces to the target area, mine-clearing operations, reconnaissance and surveillance of the pre-landing target zone with threat elimination by advance units, large-scale fire support for the landing target zone, and the decisive actions of air and sea assault and target securing. The decisive action phase, scheduled for the end of this month, will see large-scale deployment of ROK-U.S. combined and joint forces by sea and air, demonstrating the overwhelming power of the ROK-U.S. alliance and its capability to conduct joint amphibious operations.

Marine Corps Commanding General Kim Gye-hwan stated, "This exercise demonstrates the ROK-U.S. alliance's will to realize 'peace through strength' in action," adding, "On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, we will further strengthen the combined defense posture to protect the Republic of Korea."

Meanwhile, the ROK-U.S. Navy Special Warfare units have been conducting regular tactical training to improve joint operational capabilities at locations such as Jinhae Naval Base and Pyeongchang training grounds from last month until recently, the Navy announced. This training, called "Flash Knife," involves Navy special warfare operators infiltrating enemy territory to eliminate key targets and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Because the target is the enemy command, it is sometimes referred to as a "decapitation operation." Previously, the "Teak Knife" ROK-U.S. joint special operations training conducted last month focused on airborne infiltration, whereas Flash Knife is known to focus on maritime infiltration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.