South Korea, US conduct joint military drills with eye on North Korea

As part of their attempts to modernise their forces, South Korean and American soldiers conducted combined future warfare drills this week that involved drones, an unmanned vehicle, and wearing laser sensors, the Seoul army said on Saturday.

The training took place during the annual Hoguk fall exercises, which are conducted by the South Korean military to enhance its ability to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

Built in the Korea Combat Training Centre in the eastern city of Inje, the mock-up town resembled Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and more than 120 soldiers from both sides joined forces to battle against a well-trained enemy team.

The soldiers were outfitted with multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES), which simulate real-world fighting using lasers, as part of the drills that also employed a variety of cutting-edge weaponry systems designed to strengthen future combat capabilities.

In addition to firing assault rifles, multiple drones were flown for reconnaissance, while South Korea sent a multifunctional unmanned vehicle to transport injured soldiers.

The unmanned assets and the MILES equipment, according to Choi Jeong-Il, a captain of the South Korean army’s 25th Infantry Division, also known as the TIGER brigade, helped identify enemies and estimate the casualties among the allied troops.

“We were able to confirm the enemy’s movements using the drones, and hit them with the cutting-edge strike equipment, which allowed us to maximise the results of the operation while minimising damage to our forces,” he said.

First Lieutenant Derek Chen of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team said the exercises provided a “eye-opening experience” and the equipment would be useful in upcoming combat missions.

The TIGER brigade was established by the South Korean army last year as a test unit for drones with artificial intelligence capabilities and highly mobile combat vehicles. It aims to transform all combat units based on that model by 2040.

Additionally, the army hosted what it referred to as its first international tournament for future combat, which lasted five days and involved about 300 soldiers from five nations, including Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Britain, and Uzbekistan.

(With agency inputs)