[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence photo] If Namhangang Bridge Is Destroyed, 'ROK-US Joint River Crossing Exercise'

South Korea and the U.S. Conduct Joint Training Around Namhangang River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi as Part of Defense Exercise

[Asia Economy Military Correspondent Yang Nak-gyu] South Korea and the United States conducted a “ROK-US Combined Arms Joint River Crossing Exercise” assuming the destruction of the Namhangang Bridge. For the exercise held around the Namhangang area in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, the ROK Army’s 7th Corps integrated and operated combined arms units including armor, artillery, engineers, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN), air defense, and aviation centered on the 8th and 11th Maneuver Divisions, and formed a combined task force with the 11th Engineer Battalion under the ROK-US Combined Division.

About 1,000 ROK-US soldiers, more than 50 tracked vehicles including K2 tanks, 144 ROK-US engineering equipment such as Ribbon Bridge System (RBS) and Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB), attack helicopters including Apache and Cobra, and Air Force KF-16 fighter jets participated to deploy combined and joint forces.

The exercise began with a simulated scenario where key bridges in the Namhangang area were destroyed by enemy attacks. Upon receiving the attack order from the control headquarters, artillery and KF-16s fired, followed by fire support and aerial surveillance by Apache and Cobra attack helicopters, and smoke screen deployment by the CBRN smoke platoon to conceal friendly forces.

After the threat was neutralized by fire support, K21 Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the 11th Maneuver Division conducted an assault river crossing. Then, ROK-US engineer units supported the crossing of tracked vehicles such as K2 tanks and K200 armored vehicles using a pontoon bridge (raft-type equipment).

Next, a combined temporary modular bridge constructed by ROK-US forces was extended. Bridge erection boat teams (BEB) shuttled across the river carrying components, which were assembled by ROK-US engineer soldiers, resulting in a 300-meter-long pontoon bridge.

Once the pontoon bridge was completed, a large force led by tanks and armored vehicles crossed the river. The exercise lasted about six hours until all equipment and troops crossed the river and secured the objective.

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Yong-kyung of the 11th Maneuver Division, who participated in the exercise, emphasized, “Given the Korean Peninsula’s terrain with many rivers, cultivating river crossing operation capabilities is a key factor determining success or failure in wartime operations.”

Captain Sean Kasprisin of the ROK-US Combined Division said, “Through practical combined engineer operations, we confirmed the strong cohesion of the ROK-US alliance,” adding, “We hope that various exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and the United States will lead to enhanced combined operational capabilities.”

This exercise was conducted as part of the annual outdoor maneuver exercise called the Defense of the Nation Exercise held in the second half of the year. This year’s Defense of the Nation Exercise started on the 17th and will continue until the 28th, conducting day and night live maneuver training with joint land, sea, and air forces assuming threats such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities to enhance wartime and peacetime mission performance.