Army-counterfire exercise

▲ The Army's Ground Operations Command, which also serves as the ground component command of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), conducts live-fire drills involving K9 self-propelled howitzers at a training range in Cheorwon, some 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by the Army on Oct. 23, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The Army's Ground Operations Command (GOC) has conducted an annual counterfire field training exercise (FTX) to enhance its readiness for wartime operations, the armed service said Friday.

The drills were conducted from Monday through Friday, involving some 4,100 troops affiliated with the Combined Ground Component Command (CGCC), according to the Army.

The GOC also serves as the ground component command of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), which was transitioned into a standing unit earlier this year.

During the drills, which were held in tandem with the annual Hoguk exercise, troops trained under a simulated all-out war scenario on the Korean Peninsula.

The CGCC task force, comprising intelligence and artillery units, attempted to occupy positions and detect and strike targets using their combined assets.

A range of joint surveillance and strike assets, including the allies' unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-battery radars, the Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) and K9 self-propelled howitzer, were mobilized for the drills.

The troops also practiced response measures for accidental situations, such as an enemy attack on the task force unit and communications network jamming, as well as sustainment support training, including resupplying munitions.

Meanwhile, the GOC also conducted anti-aircraft live-fire training using guided weapons systems in Boryeong, some 140 kilometers southwest of Seoul, during the same period.

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