South Korea, US to conduct large-scale amphibious landing exercise

South Korea and the United States will commence their large-scale amphibious landing exercise this week in the southeastern city of Pohang and along the eastern coast.

The exercise, known as Ssangyong (Double Dragon), aims to enhance combat readiness and interoperability between the allies, News.Az reports citing the Korea Times.

The drills will also bring together some 40 aircraft, such as F-35B radar-evading jets, and around 40 amphibious assault vehicles, the Navy and Marine Corps said in a joint release.

Beginning this year, the allies' Marine Corps will organize a combined staff group, which will jointly lead the landing exercise aboard the ROKS Marado, they added.

A joint military command overseeing drone operations, launched in September last year, will participate in the Ssangyong exercise for the first time and conduct surveillance activities deploying drones.

Also joining the exercise will be Britain's Royal Marines Commandos, marking their participation in the drills for a second consecutive year.

In accordance with the exercise plan, the allies are scheduled to stage the "decisive action" phase of the exercise early next month, which will bring together the participating troops, landing ships, fighters and choppers to display their "overwhelming" capabilities for the landing exercise.

The allies resumed the Ssangyong exercise for the first time in five years in March 2023. It had not been held since 2018 amid the preceding Moon Jae-in administration's drive for inter-Korean rapprochement.

News.Az