Allies holding anti-submarine drills

US Pacific Fleet head arrives: Defense Minister Han Min-koo, right, talks with Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Monday, about North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats. The two shared the need for enhancing cooperation between their navies, with Adm. Swift reaffirming the ironclad alliance between the two countries. The commander arrived in South Korea earlier in the day to attend the annual Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS) that kicked off Saturday for a five-day run in Seoul, Pohang and Ganghwa. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea, the United States and Japan began a three-day joint naval exercise, Monday, to counter growing threats from North Korea’s submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM).

This is the first time for the three countries to carry out joint anti-submarine exercises, the Ministry of National Defense said.

The drills came after they discussed the issue in their Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) in December.

“The exercise is taking place until Wednesday in international waters between South Korea and Japan near Jeju Island,” the ministry said in a release.

“The drills are designed to enhance the three countries’ abilities in searching, identifying and tracking enemy submarines in order to ensure an effective response to North Korea’s submarine threats including its development of an SLBM capability.”

Seoul dispatched the 4,400-ton destroyer Kang Gam Chan with its Lynx anti-submarine helicopter, while Washington sent the 9,200-ton Aegis-equipped destroyer USS McCampbell and its MH-60 anti-submarine chopper and a P-3 Orion patrol plane. Tokyo dispatched destroyer, the Sawagiri, with its anti-submarine helicopter.

“During the practice, the navies will search, identify and track a mock submarine, and exchange relevant information,” the ministry said. “This exercise reflects the three nations’ determination to better deter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.”

Pyongyang test-fired SLBMs in April, July and August last year. Among them, the one fired in August flew about 500 kilometers and splashed down in waters under Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone in the East Sea, showing a significant improvement from past tests.

In December, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK also reported, quoting U.S. officials, that the U.S. had detected a ground test of an SLBM in North Korea.

South Korea believes the North will be able to deploy operational SLBMs within one to three years.

In response to this growing threat, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, Monday, that it has decided to introduce additional anti-ballistic missile early warning radars that will become part of the Korean Air and Missile Defense, designed to track and shoot down North Korean missiles heading for South Korea.