Korea-US-Japan Joint Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise After 5 Years

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The navies of South Korea, the United States, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will conduct a joint anti-submarine warfare exercise for the first time in five years.

According to the Navy on the 30th, this exercise was organized to strengthen the response capabilities against the increasing North Korean submarine threat, including the advancement of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capabilities, amid ongoing nuclear and missile threats such as consecutive ballistic missile launches by North Korea.

South Korea, the U.S., and Japan previously conducted an anti-submarine warfare exercise on April 3, 2017, in international waters between Jeju and the mid-sea area between South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea's SLBM threat. Considering the North Korean SLBM threat and the expected main operational areas of submarines, the current exercise area was selected in the East Sea international waters.

For this anti-submarine exercise, the South Korean Navy will participate with the Korean destroyer Munmu the Great (DDH-II, 4,400 tons). The U.S. will deploy a carrier strike group consisting of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76, 103,000 tons), the guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62, 9,800 tons), and the Aegis destroyers USS Barry (DDG 52, 6,900 tons) and USS Benfold (DDG 65, 6,900 tons). The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will participate with the destroyer Asahi (5,100 tons).

The commander of this exercise is Brigadier General Michael Donnelly, commander of the U.S. 5th Carrier Strike Group. The exercise will proceed with each nation's forces searching for, identifying, and tracking submarines while mutually exchanging related information.

Earlier, the South Korean and U.S. navies, including the U.S. carrier strike group, conducted a joint maritime exercise in the East Sea Korean Theater of Operations (KTO) for four days from the 26th to the 30th. The South Korean and U.S. military and intelligence authorities have strengthened surveillance posture after detecting certain activities around Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, where submarine and SLBM production, development, and testing facilities are located.