Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

First squadron-level maritime maneuver exercise held since the establishment of the Task Fleet Command

- The 71st Maritime Task Squadron and the 31st Maritime Task Squadron conducted a joint maritime maneuver exercise in the West Sea and the South Sea for three days, starting on February 25.

- Military readiness was enhanced with realistic training exercises, including maritime firing, anti-submarine warfare, and the detection and tracking of enemy ballistic missiles.

◦ The Task Fleet Command conducted maritime training to establish a military readiness posture from February 25 to 27. The exercise was the first squadron-level joint operation involving maritime task squadrons, including Aegis destroyers, since the establishment of the Task Fleet Command on February 1.

◦ The exercise featured the participation of nine ships, one submarine, and 13 aircraft, including ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991, 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer), ROKS Dae Jo-yeong (DDH-977, 4,400-ton destroyer), and ROKS Cheonji (AOE-57, 4,200-ton replenishment ship) from the Task Fleet Command. Vessels from the Third Fleet included ROKS Jeonbuk (FFG-813) and ROKS Gwangju (FFG-817, 2,500-ton frigates), as well as ROKS Park Dongjin (PKG-728, 450-ton guided-missile patrol boat).

◦ During the three-day exercise, participating forces increased readiness for enemy provocations in the sea, subsurface, and air domains with realistic training, including anti-submarine firing, anti-submarine warfare drills, SM-2 surface-to-air missile engagement control exercises, and ship damage recovery and damage control exercises.

◦ During the exercise, ROKS Sejong the Great enhanced maritime defense in the ROK 3K Defense by conducting training focused on detecting and tracking enemy ballistic missiles in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. Captain Cho Beom-sang, commanding officer of ROKS Sejong the Great, said, “With the first squadron-level maneuver training since the inauguration of the Task Fleet Command, we successfully established a combat readiness posture and mindset capable of achieving victory in field operations. With realistic training, we will build a robust maritime operational posture that can strongly counter and deter enemy provocations.”  //End//