Navy holds maritime defense drills in waters off western, southern coasts
A UH-60 maritime helicopter approaches the ROKS Wonsan mine-laying ship in waters off the southern coast during four-day maritime drills in this photo provided by the Republic of Korea Navy, Thursday. Yonhap
The Navy said Thursday it conducted maritime drills in waters off the western and southern coasts earlier this week as part of efforts to maintain defense readiness.
The four-day exercise designed to train against North Korean maritime threats began Monday, mobilizing some 20 surface ships and about a dozen aircraft from the Second and Third Fleets, according to the Navy.
The Second Fleet, in charge of defending the West Sea, deployed the 3,100-ton ROKS Seoul frigate among other warships for the drills that were also joined by the U.S. Forces Korea's AH-64E attack helicopters.
The West Sea exercise was focused on training troops on response measures against threats posed by North Korean special forces and submarines, as well as on logistics procedures at sea, the Navy said.
In waters off the southern coast, the Third Fleet mobilized the ROKS Gyeongnam frigate and other vessels for the defense drills, which included live-fire training.