 SH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters from the Korean Navy amphibious landing ship Dokdo land aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington during operation “Invincible Spirit” in the East Sea of Korea,Tuesday. Korea and the United States concluded Wednesday the four-day combined maritime and air readiness exercise in the seas east of the Korean Peninsula. This is the first in a series of joint military exercises that will occur over the coming months in the East and West Seas. / Courtesy of US Navy |
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter
The militaries of South Korea and the United States wrapped up their four-day naval and air readiness exercise off the eastern coast of Korea, Wednesday, which were intended to send a “message” to North Korea, blamed for attacking a South Korean warship in March.
The allied forces continued their drills centered on anti-submarine warfare, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
Some warships from both militaries fired cannons at a mock target, and others were maneuvering to deter an imaginary North Korean submarine trying to infiltrate the South, a JCS official said.
Fighter jets from the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces dropped bombs on targets at a firing range near the east coast, he added.
The “Invincible Spirit” exercise involved approximately 8,000 troops, 200 aircraft, and 20 surface warships and submarines.
Mobilized air assets include the U.S. Air Force’s F-22, F-16, F-18 and F-15 fighter jets, A-10 close-air-support aircraft and KC-135/130 air refuel tankers, and the South Korean Air Force’s F-15Ks, KF-16s and F-4/5 jets.
The U.S. Navy dispatched the 97,000-ton George Washington aircraft carrier with about 60 fighter jets on board, guided-missile destroyers and attack submarines. The South Korean Navy sent the 14,000-ton Dokdo large-deck amphibious landing ship, KDX-series destroyers, frigates and submarines.
Joint exercises between the allied forces are planned to continue until the year’s end. In August, the two forces will stage their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills from Aug. 16-26.
Beginning September, they will conduct follow-up naval and air training exercises both in the West and East Sea every month till the end of December, the JCS official said.
On March 26, South Korea’s Cheonan corvette was sunk and 46 of the 104 sailors aboard the ship were killed.
A Seoul-led multinational team of investigators determined in May that the ship was torpedoed by a North Korean submarine.
North Korea has denied any involvement in the incident.
