S. Korea gears up for participation in this year's RIMPAC exercise

  • 8 years ago
South Korea is gearing up to participate in this year's Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii this summer.
This year's drill will be the largest ever, with a focus on maritime security and control.
Connie Kim introduces us to RIMPAC 2016.
South Korea will be participating in the Rim of the Pacific exercise, the world's largest international maritime warfare drill in Hawaii, this summer.
The U.S.-led biennial naval exercise will run from June 30th to August 4th this year with the participation of 27 nations, making it the largest ever.
Four countries -- Brazil, Denmark, Germany and Italy -- will be participating for the first time.
China will also join, despite stirring up controversy last time in 2014, when it sent intelligence ships to waters near the training site.
The U.S will be sending some 25-thousand personnel, 45 surface vessels and more than 200 aircraft
to the exercise, which will focus on maritime security including amphibious operations and artillery exercises with defensive training against missiles, submarines and aircraft.

The South Korean Navy has been taking part in the exercise since 1990, and this year it will send approximately 700 servicemen from the Navy and Marine Corps, along with three warships, maritime surveillance aircraft, two submarine helicopters and other military assets.

What's interesting this year ahead of this year's RIMPAC, is that Seoul, Washington and Tokyo will conduct a trilateral exercise called Pacific Dragon.
This drill will take place in waters near Hawaii, and three Aegis destroyers are set to participate from each country.
An official from Seoul's defense ministry said the drill is in line with the three countries' intelligence sharing deal in 2014 and aims to boost their ability to detect and share information on North Korean missile provocations.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.

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