ICBM Interception US Warship Joint Training in the West Sea

Large Special Warfare Unit Operation Training and Anti-Submarine Training Conducted in the West Sea between Korea and the U.S.

Last month, the US Navy's 7th Fleet Aegis destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113, photo), which docked at the Pyeongtaek Naval Base in Gyeonggi Province, conducted joint exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy in the West Sea.

On the 11th, Jang Do-young, head of the Navy's Seoul Public Affairs Team, stated at the Ministry of National Defense regular briefing, "The ROK-US navies conducted special operations forces exercises and anti-submarine warfare training in the West Sea at the end of April." He added, "The exercises involved ROKS Sejong the Great, ROKS Eulji Mundeok, and the US USS John Finn, along with aircraft from both navies." He further explained, "These exercises are regularly conducted to strengthen the combined defense posture and interoperability between the ROK and US navies."

USS John Finn is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer with a displacement of 9,200 tons. In November 2020, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully launched a new interceptor missile, the SM-3 Block IIA, from USS John Finn to intercept a simulated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This test was widely regarded as a measure to counter the threat posed by North Korea's ICBMs.

The timing of the ship's arrival?after the conclusion of the ROK-US joint exercises Freedom Shield (March 13?23) and Ssangryong Exercises (March 20?April 3), and just before the ROK-US summit?suggests an intention to enhance deterrence against North Korean provocations by exposing US strategic assets.

On the previous day, the US Department of Defense announced through the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) that "the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS John Finn conducted a series of exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy from April 24 to 27 to enhance interoperability." The statement explained, "The exercises were essentially defensive and consisted of regular mutual training and expert exchanges, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare drills, communication training, air defense exercises, and combined live-fire drills."