U.S. and Korean Navy and Marines Conduct Landing Assault Exercise "Strengthening the Combined Defense System on the Korean Peninsula and the U.S.-South Korea Alliance"

While the U.S. and South Korean Navy and Marine Corps are conducting the 2023 Ssangyong Exercise, they launched a decisive action, the 'flower' of the landing operation, around Pohang in Gyeongbuk on March 29th.

The Marine Corps said on the same day that it "demonstrated the overwhelming combined and combined forces of the US-ROK alliance and the ability to carry out combined landing operations at sea and in the air."

The decisive action phase was carried out under the leadership of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Seung-gyeom as the core phase of the landing operation. Approximately 200 military commanders, members of the National Assembly, local government heads, including US-Korea Combined Commander Paul Lacamera, Navy Chief of Staff Lee Jung Ho, US-Korea Combined Branch Commander Ahn Byung-seok, and Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan visited the site.

The training included about 30 ships, including a division-level landing force, a large transport ship (LPH) Dokdo, a US amphibious assault ship (LHD) Merkin Irish ship, and US F-35 fighters and Army Apache attacks. About 70 aircraft including HYERI (AH-64) and Marine-on landing maneuver HYERI, and about 50 armored assault vehicles (KAAV) rushed in, reminiscent of a real battle.

Colonel Yoo Chang-hoon, who observed the training as a brigade commander, said, "The U.S. and ROK Marines have established a decisive battle system, and will further strengthen the combined defence system that can respond immediately to any provocation by the enemy."

Lt. Col. Eric Olson, deputy commander of the U.S. amphibious forces, said, "Through the 2023 Ssangyong exercise, the naval forces and marines of the two countries verified their joint amphibious capabilities and interoperability. We have strengthened the combined defense system on the Korean Peninsula and the US-South Korea alliance."