Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

ROK CJCS Observes ROK-US Combined Special Operation Training to Inspect Overwhelming Response Posture Against Enemy Provocations and Combined Wartime Operational Execution Posture

∙CJCS inspects the mission execution procedures of US strike asset(AC-130J) that deploys to the Korean Peninsula in contingencies.

   *AC-130J, capable of being employed as a strike asset targeting critical enemy facilities during wartime(and loading precision-guided munitions such as GBU-39), deployed & trained on pen for the first time.

∙Wartime Combined Operational Execution Posture established, and interoperability enhanced through ROK-US combined special operations and terminal attack control training.

ㅇ ROK CJCS General Kim Seung Kyum observed ROK and US combined special operations training (Teak Knife) in order to inspect operational execution procedures and firmly establish a 'Determined Battle Posture' with special operations troops, in response to DPRK's increasing threat of provocations.

ㅇ The ROK and US have been conducting the annual combined special operations training event, 'Teak Knife', since February. This week, the training focuses on terminal attack control with the aim of familiarizing operational execution procedures for precision strikes against targets in the enemy area using airborne assets and fires.

ㅇ Of note, for this year's 'Teak Knife' training the AC-130J, a US airborne strike asset tasked to deploy to the Korean Peninsula in contingencies, flew to the Korean Peninsula for the first time and participated in the special operations training. It is conducting precision targeting training using 30mm autocannons, 105mm howitzers, and precision-guided munitions, such as AGM-114/176 and GBU-39, at altitudes above 10,000ft.

ㅇ During the training, Chairman Kim visited the airbase where the AC-130J is currently deployed to inspect the operational execution procedure of munitions that will be employed in real word operations, and stressed the importance of "harnessing the capability to strike the enemy's critical facilities without fail, and establishing wartime combined operations posture by enhancing interoperability between the ROK-US through realistic combined special operations trainings".

ㅇ Furthermore, while inspecting the operational posture of ROK-US special operations troops infiltrating enemy areas during wartime to conduct terminal attack control, Chairman Kim emphasized the need to establish "capabilities and posture that can inflict critical damages to the enemy and force a victorious resolution to the conflict, in response to DPRK‘s materializing threat of provocations".

ㅇ Chairman Kim's on-site inspection of 'Teak Knife' training occurred amid continued DPRK provocations and threatening rhetoric against ROK-US combined trainings and exercise, with the purpose of inspecting the alliance's overwhelming response posture and combined defense posture ahead of the '23 FS exercise.