Seoul: The Navy's new fleet command, tasked with operating key warships, conducted its first major maritime exercise this week since the unit's launch earlier this month, officials said Thursday: The Task Fleet Command kicked off the three-day drills Tuesday in waters off South Korea's western and southern coasts, mobilizing the 7,600-ton ROKS Sejong the Great destroyer and eight other warships, as well as a submarine and 13 aircraft, according to the Navy.
According to Yonhap News Agency, troops engaged in live-fire training and anti-submarine warfare, among other drills, to maintain readiness against maritime, underwater, and aerial threats from North Korea. The Sejong the Great destroyer also staged ballistic missile detection and tracking drills to strengthen its response capabilities against North Korean missile threats.
It marked the command's first major maritime exercise since its establishment on Feb. 1 as a key unit for South Korea's three-axis deterrence system against North Korean nuclear and missile threats. In the event of a contingency, the command is tasked with detecting and intercepting North Korean missiles and conducting precision strikes on key targets, according to the Navy.