- Title: U.S., South Korea stage largest combined military drills in years
- Date: 31st August 2022
- Summary: POCHEON, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 31, 2022) (REUTERS) LIVE-FIRE EXERCISE BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND U.S. TROOPS IN PROGRESS TANK FIRING ARTILLERY TARGET BEING HIT, SMOKE RISING FROM TARGET TANKS FIRING / TARGETS BEING HIT TANK FIRING LIVE-FIRE EXERCISE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. COLONEL, BRANDON ANDERSON, SAYING: “And I think that threat is we're all here for a reason, we all know that’s a potential (threat), and how we would defend against it is what we’re trying to demonstrate here." TANK FIRING / TARGET BEING HIT VARIOUS OF U.S. AND SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY OFFICERS OBSERVING EXERCISE FROM CONTROL ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. COLONEL, BRANDON ANDERSON, SAYING: "We are here for the long haul. Our alliance is strong. I can't imagine it being any stronger. As long as there is a threat out there, it gives us purpose, purpose to train and purpose to have a scenario and an exercise such as this." APACHE HELICOPTER TAKING OFF U.S. MILITARY OFFICER GESTURING AND OBSERVING DRILLS VARIOUS OF TANK FIRING VARIOUS U.S. AND SOUTH KOREAN SOLDIERS LOOKING INTO BINOCULARS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN GENERAL, KIM NAM-HOON, SAYING: “This training is the first division-level training by South Korea and U.S. military forces as a one-team unit since the Korea-U.S. Combined Division was formed. We will continue to strengthen the ROK-U.S. joint operational system through practical joint trainings.†VARIOUS OF TANKS RETURNING AFTER DRILLS TANKS BEING PARKED TANK MOVING FORWARD / SOLDIERS WALKING ALONG SOLDIER IN TANK SMILING THEN LOOKING ON
- Embargoed: 14th September 2022 11:06
- Keywords: North Korea South Korea The United States border live-fire exercise military drills residents
- Location: POCHEON, SOUTH KOREA
- City: POCHEON, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001173531082022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Less than 20 miles (32 km) from the fortified border with North Korea, a combined force of South Korean and U.S. troops held a major live-fire exercise on Wednesday (August 31) with artillery, tanks and other weapons as the allies scale up their war games.
South Korea and the United States have resumed the largest field exercises in years after diplomatic efforts and COVID-19 restrictions led to many drills being scaled back.
The allies see the exercises as a key part of their efforts to deter North Korea and its growing nuclear arsenal, but North Korea has called them a rehearsal for war and they have faced criticism even in South Korea and the United States.
Colonel Brandon Anderson, the division’s deputy commander for maneuver, said the drills were not aimed at any one adversary, but they obviously took into account the “reason for the U.S.-ROK alliance†– alluding to North Korea, and made specific mention of an existing "threat".
The drills included live fire from American and South Korean howitzers, tanks, machine guns, and mortars. Apache helicopters also participated.
(Production: Daewoung Kim, Hyeyeon Kim, Hyunyoung Yi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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