SEOUL — The South Korean Navy announced on Thursday the commencement of a multinational naval mine warfare exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula, aiming to enhance combined operational capabilities among the members of the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the annual exercise, initiated in 2016, will continue through next Friday in waters southeast of the southern island of Geoje. The exercise aims to familiarize UNC members with the warfare environment of the Korean Peninsula by conducting a series of drills that include laying, detecting, and removing mines.
Officials from nine other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, will observe the exercise. The U.S. Naval Forces Korea hosted a three-day mine warfare forum earlier this week in Busan, attended by officials from 19 countries, to discuss counter-mine operations that employ both unmanned assets and personnel.