Tag: Talisman Sabre

It is great to see that the ROK Marines are participating in this very important exercise underway in Australia. According to the article 840 ROK Marines are participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise. The article did not say where in Australia they are at, but it is probably the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has highlighted the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance as he attended an exercise conducted by the South’s Marines as part of multinational drills under way in Australia, his office said Wednesday.

Brunson observed the live-fire drills by the Marine Corps, held as part of the Talisman Sabre exercise, as he made a three-day visit to Australia this week to discuss defense cooperation and review interoperability outcomes for South Korean and U.S. troops in relation to the multinational drills.

The live-fire demonstration by South Korean Marines from the 11th Artillery Battalion, the 1st Tank Battalion and the 1st Marine Division mobilized the K9 self-propelled howitzer, Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system and K1A2 main battle tank.

“Observing our ROK Marine ally during this live-fire exercise at Talisman Sabre showcases the strength and readiness of our alliance,” Brunson said, referring to the South by the acronym of its formal name, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

“These complex combined, joint all domain training events are absolutely essential for enhancing our interoperability and collective defense capabilities,” he said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Was is interesting about the ROK participation in the Australian led exercise is that the Japanese are also participants:

South Korea plans to take part in a large-scale naval exercise that the United States and Australia plan to hold next month, the defense ministry said Monday.

The Navy will send a 4,400 ton-class destroyer to the Talisman Sabre exercise set to take place in mid-July in Australian waters. The biennial exercise is the largest bilateral training activity between the U.S. and Australia.

“We’ve decided to join the exercise for the first time this year with a goal to improve our capabilities of conducting combined operations,” ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan told a regular press briefing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but besides the U.S., Australia, and the ROK; Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Japan are also participants, while France, India and Indonesia are observers this year.