Page 111 - 2020 Defence White Paper

division, and the Search-and-Rescue Exercise (SAREX) conducted with neighboring
nations including Japan and Russia. In recent years, the ROK has expanded the
PASSEX with neighboring and partner countries including Australia, Canada, and
New Zealand. The combined exercises carried out by the Navy for the past three
years are summarized in [Chart 3-14].

[Chart 3-14] The Navy’s Joint Exercises During the Past Three Years
(Unit: times) Chapter 3
Domestic Overseas
Year Total
Subtotal ROK–US Multilateral Subtotal ROK–US Multilateral
2018 66 58 51 7 8 - 8
2019 81 68 61 7 13 1 12
2020 88 75 70 5 13 4 9

Cruise training is conducted for about 100 to 140 days by dividing the world
46)
into four routes by region. The routes are changed every year. Since the first cruise
training in 1954, the Navy conducted the longest training for 141 days in 12 countries
in 2019. In the following year, amid the difficulties brought about by COVID-19,
the Navy visited two countries for 60 days and conducted ocean navigation training
in order to cultivate practical adaptability. Moreover, the Navy contributes to
raising the ROK’s stature through military exchanges and cooperation with visiting
countries during cruise training and by holding events to show appreciation toward
the countries that participated in the Korean War and consolatory events for overseas
Korean residents, and carrying out defense industrial cooperation.

The Air Force conducts independent and joint exercises of various scales as well as
domestic and overseas joint exercises to build omnidirectional military preparedness
and improve the ability to conduct aerospace operations with initiative.
Independent exercises include Soaring Eagle, a large scale training covering
the entire airspace of Korea, strike package training, air-to-air shooting and air-
to-ground bombing training, defensive counter-air comprehensive training, and
surveillance and reconnaissance training. Meanwhile, joint exercises include joint
air defense training, emergency air interdiction training, counter-fire warfare, close
air support, international water joint training in the northwest region, and large-scale
The ROK Air
maritime refugee SAR training. Force’s joint
maritime refugee
Combined exercises conducted domestically include the Korea Flying Training SAR training
aimed at improving the performance of large-scale combined air operations,
46)
Combined Flying Training Event (CFTE) and Combined Special Operations Training Ocean navigation training
for fourth-year cadets of
(Teak Knife) for improving wartime operational capability, and Combat Search And the Naval Academy

Chapter 3. Safeguarding Peace by Establishing a Robust Defense Posture Against Omnidirectional Security Threats 109