Operation Plan Led by South Korea
Verifying Operational Capabilities
The Army announced on the 14th that the Army Special Warfare Command's Heukpyo Unit and the US 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade conducted the 'ROK-US Combined Special Strike Training' for four days starting from the 10th at the Special Warfare School training ground in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. This training is part of the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) exercise.
The training involved over 250 military personnel from both South Korea and the United States, and 16 combined aviation assets including South Korean CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and US CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk, and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters.
This training was planned to enhance the offensive special strike capabilities of elite special mission operators. It focused on mastering combat techniques such as special reconnaissance, combat shooting, and striking key facilities using combined forces, as well as strengthening ROK-US interoperability.
In particular, aiming to verify the capability to conduct combined special strike operations, the operation plan was established under South Korean leadership. During the planning, the Special Warfare Command maximized combat performance by introducing various contingencies, and increased the realism of the training through the deployment of large-scale air power and the operation of opposing forces.
The training conducted the previous day began in pitch-black darkness. The special mission operators participating in the training used advanced operational equipment to pioneer pathways to the target area and quickly overcome obstacles. Also, despite various contingencies, the special mission operators struck key facilities and annihilated opposing forces in one fell swoop, then safely withdrew from the operational area by aircraft, successfully completing the ROK-US combined operation.
The commander of the Heukpyo Unit's Special Mission Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel), who led the training, stated, “The Special Warfare Command, as South Korea’s representative strategic rapid response unit, remains steadfast in fulfilling its core military missions,” and added, “We will continue to contribute to strengthening the solid ROK-US alliance through combined training and ensure the safety of our citizens.”
Meanwhile, the Special Warfare Command plans to closely analyze the outcomes of this training and apply them to education and training.
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