The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), the second half joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States, will officially begin on August 18. However, some of the field training exercises have been postponed and will take place in September.
The Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ROK-US Combined Forces Command announced on August 7 that this is a defensive exercise conducted annually by the two countries.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined Forces Command stated that this year's exercise scenario incorporates realistic threats, including lessons learned from recent warfare trends, and will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the alliance's response capabilities and readiness, including "combined and joint all-domain operations."
Additionally, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined Forces Command said that the exercise will enhance the government's ability to manage crises and protect public safety by supporting wartime preparedness drills and practical training for government ministries, including improving integrated situation response capabilities and strengthening cyber threat response. This is expected to improve the nation's overall capacity for total war on a government-wide level.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Command, and UNC member states will participate in the exercise. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe to ensure compliance with the armistice agreement.
The UFS exercise consists of a command post exercise (CPX) and a field training exercise (FTX). This year, some of the scheduled FTXs will be postponed to next month. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined Forces Command cited reasons such as extreme heat and flood damage for the postponement. However, some interpret this as a possible reflection of recent discussions within the government regarding adjustments to the ROK-US joint exercises.
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