South Korea stages joint amphibious drill in Pohang
KAAV amphibious assault vehicles and an LSF landing craft carrying Marines moving toward a beach in Pohang, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, South Korea, 26 April 2026 (issued 27 April 2026). The Navy and Marine Corps launched a weeklong regular amphibious landing exercise to maintain combat readiness against evolving threats in future warfare. Photo by ROK MARINE COMMAND YONHAP / EPA
April 27 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Navy and Marine Corps conducted a major joint amphibious landing drill in Pohang, testing combined operations involving manned and unmanned assets, the military said Monday.
The exercise, held on the coast of Dokseok-ri in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, involved about 3,200 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
The drill included Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicles, the large transport ship Marado, MUH-1 Marineon helicopters, P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, KF-16 fighter jets, AH-64E attack helicopters and drones operated by the Drone Operations Command.
The exercise focused on “decisive action,” a key phase of amphibious operations in which Marine landing forces secure a beachhead with support from naval gunfire and air power before transitioning to ground operations.
A New Zealand Army platoon joined the landing force for the first time, operating with South Korean Marines. The New Zealand troops trained for two weeks before the landing, including urban operations, combat shooting and boarding and dismounting drills using amphibious vehicles.
The South Korean military said the exercise also tested responses to enemy drones, mine-clearing operations, anti-submarine warfare and air defense procedures.
Logistics drones were used to deliver ammunition, combat rations and medical supplies to units operating deep in enemy territory. U.S. Navy 7th Fleet personnel also took part in mine countermeasure operations.
Special operations forces used first-person-view drones for the first time during advance force operations, collecting real-time intelligence while infiltrating target beaches and clearing obstacles.
“This exercise strengthened the Navy and Marine Corps’ joint operational capability as one team and verified the practicality of manned-unmanned combined forces using advanced science and technology,” said Navy Capt. Hwang Sang-geun, commander of the amphibious task force.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260428010008699