[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Training Continues Even After FS Ends

Plans Including Joint Field Maneuvers Until Early Next Month
North Korea Expected to React Against Military Provocations

The South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Freedom Shield" (FS) concluded on the 23rd, but North Korea's provocations are expected to continue. South Korea and the U.S. plan to conduct additional joint field maneuver exercises until early next month following FS.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 24th, a military official stated, "The large-scale South Korea-U.S. joint exercise FS, revived after five years, has completed its 11-day schedule."

This FS was conducted continuously day and night for 24 hours over 11 days from the 13th to the 23rd, following the Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) held from the 6th to the 9th. South Korea and the U.S. applied nuclear threat scenarios reflecting North Korea's increasingly sophisticated nuclear and missile unusual activities and rhetorical threats.

Alongside FS, South Korea and the U.S. conducted more than 20 joint field training exercises (FTX) named "Warrior Shield" (WS), at a level exceeding the past "Foal Eagle" (FE) exercises. Division-level Ssangryong exercises and brigade-level combined arms live-fire exercises resumed in earnest. On the 16th, the U.S. strategic bomber B-1B deployed from the U.S. mainland to the Korean Peninsula and conducted joint air exercises with the Republic of Korea Air Force's F-35A and others.

Although FS has ended, joint field maneuver exercises are scheduled to continue until early next month, so North Korea's backlash, including military provocations, is anticipated. The division-level amphibious force, the large transport ship Dokdo (LPH, 14,500 tons), and the U.S. Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8, 42,000 tons) will participate in the Ssangryong exercises around Pohang until the 3rd of next month.

At the end of this month, a joint carrier strike group exercise involving a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is planned. A trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan exercise involving a U.S. aircraft carrier is also under discussion.

Depending on the remaining joint exercises and the deployment of U.S. strategic assets, North Korea is expected to carry out military demonstrations and provocations. During the FS period, North Korea strongly opposed by conducting a series of provocations every two to three days, but South Korea and the U.S. proceeded with the planned exercises as scheduled.