Report on U.S. Military Power 2012 (34)

II. Exercises Conducted by the U.S.Armed Forces and Other Militaries

Joint anti-submarine exercise by the U.S. and the ROK. From 20thto 24thFebruary, the ROK and the U.S. carried out an anti-submarine drill off the western coast of ROK in response to DPRK’s submarine threats. The drill is aimed at improving coordinated operations of the two militaries in order to tackle the threats posed by DPRK’s submarines in the disputed Western Waters.

Key Resolve 2012, a joint US-ROK exercise. From February 27thto March 9th, over 2,100 U.S. military personnel and around 200,000 ROK soldiers took part in Key Resolve 2012, an annual joint exercise. The exercise focused on defense operations, making preparations for the handover of wartime operational command from the U.S. to the ROK. The two countries also conducted a joint field maneuver drill, code named Foal Eagle, from March 1stto April 30th. Around 11,000 U.S. and ROK soldiers participated in the exercise with a focus on landing operations.

Joint US-ROK Air Force Exercises. From May, 7thto 18th, units from the ROK Air Force and the U.S. 7thAir Force conducted an air defense exercise based on the U.S.-led multinational Red Flag air exercise. Under the leadership of the ROK Air Force and set in the west of the Korean Peninsula, the exercise was the largest ever air defense exercise with 60 military aircraft.

The Joint Yellow-Sea Exercises. From June 23rdto 25th, the U.S. and the ROK conducted a regular exercise in the Yellow Sea, involving USS George Washington and over ten warships and submarines, including King Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyer from the ROK Navy. The aim of the exercise is to improve coordination within the U.S. carrier strike group and joint operations between U.S. carrier-born fighters and ROK fighters.

Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2012. From August 20thto 31st, the U.S. and the ROK carried out Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2012 in the ROK. The exercise, for which the Combined Forces Command is responsible, involved 56,000 ROK soldiers and over 30,000 U.S. soldiers. As an annual defense-oriented exercise, it is a comprehensive test of the joint operations capabilities of the two militaries. Ulchi Freedom Guardian is the new name of the military exercise previously known as Ulchi-Focus Lens, a combined exercise between the U.S. and the ROK held annually since 1975.

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