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| ▲ This file photo, taken Oct. 4, 2014, shows the ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong Aegis-equipped destroyer sailing in waters off Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-US-joint drills
S. Korea, U.S. hold joint anti-sub, counter special ops drills in East Sea
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have staged combined anti-submarine and counter special operations drills in the East Sea to maintain readiness against North Korean threats, the South's Navy said Tuesday.
The four-day exercise began Monday, involving some 10 South Korean warships, including the ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong Aegis-equipped destroyer, and the USS Rafael Peralta Aegis-equipped destroyer, according to the Navy.
The drills also mobilized South Korean P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, F-15K and FA-50 fighter jets, as well as U.S. A-10 attack aircraft and other assets, it said.
Over the exercise period, troops will train on searching and destroying enemy submarines, and responding to amphibious landing attempts by enemy special operations forces among other drills.
The training will mostly proceed under scenarios of enemy submarine threats, the Navy said, considering the high possibility of complex combat situations in the East Sea, involving both enemy surface ships and submarines.
The East Sea is deeper than the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula, which makes submarine activity relatively easier, a Navy official said.
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