[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence photo] The Site of the First Korea-US KTCT

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The US 1st Armored Brigade, a rotational brigade of the ROK-US Combined Division, conducted joint training with the ROK Army for the first time at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC).

The US 1st Armored Brigade participating in the training is a brigade under the US Army 1st Armored Division and was rotationally deployed to the ROK-US Combined Division in March. Before coming to Korea, they completed combat training at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, USA, which is regarded as the model for Korea's KCTC.

This training involved about 4,300 ROK soldiers, mainly from the ROK Army's 12th Division Sangseunghyangrobong Brigade and 28th Division Eagle Brigade, forming brigade combat teams that engaged each other in bilateral training. Approximately 300 soldiers from two infantry companies under the US 1st Armored Brigade (Ready First Brigade) were integrated into each ROK brigade combat team and operated under their command during the training.

This is the first time the ROK Army has integrated US forces into each ROK brigade combat team and exercised operational control during KCTC brigade-level bilateral training. The KCTC brigade-level bilateral training method, applied by the ROK Army since last year, differs from the previous approach where one brigade would engage a specialized opposing force unit. Instead, two brigades participate in a single training session, allowing more units to experience KCTC training, which is regarded as the closest to real combat.

The training involved over 100 combat vehicles, including tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, attack and maneuver helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and was conducted under the principle of bilateral free maneuver engagement. Additionally, the training focused on enhancing combined arms cooperation centered on brigade commanders, simultaneous integrated operations capabilities, and ROK-US combined operational capabilities. To facilitate smooth joint training, observers and controllers managing the training scenarios were primarily selected based on language proficiency. Various weapons and combat equipment operated by the US forces were integrated with the ROK Army's MILES equipment to ensure that all training data could be analyzed through the scientific training system.