South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire workouts to hone their means to reply to potential “Hamas-style shock artillery assaults” by North Korea
ByThe Related Press
October 27, 2023, 12:46 AM
South Korean military Ok-9 self-propelled howitzers and Ok-55A1 self-propelled howitzers are seen throughout the army drills at a coaching subject in Cheorwon, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (Yang Ji-woong/Yonhap by way of AP)
The Related Press
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire workouts this week to hone their means to reply to potential “Hamas-style shock artillery assaults” by North Korea, South Korea’s army mentioned Friday.
The 2 forces recurrently conduct live-fire and different coaching, however this week’s drills come after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel raised safety jitters in South Korea, which shares the world’s most closely fortified border with rival North Korea.
Consultants say the North’s forward-deployed long-range artillery weapons can hearth about 16,000 rounds per hour within the occasion of a battle, posing a severe menace to Seoul, which is about 40-50 kilometers (25-30 miles) from the border.
The three-day firing workouts, which started Wednesday, concerned 5,400 South Korean and U.S. troopers, 300 artillery programs, 1,000 autos and air pressure property, in keeping with South Korea’s army.
In a simulated response to “the enemy’s (doable) Hamas-style shock artillery assaults,” the workouts practiced strikes designed to “take away the origins of the enemy’s long-range artillery provocations at an early date,” South Korea’s Floor Operations Command mentioned in a press release.
North Korea did not instantly react to the drills. It usually views main U.S.-South Korean army coaching as invasion rehearsals and responds with missile checks.
South Korea and america have been increasing their common army drills within the face of North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. Since final yr, North Korea has carried out greater than 100 missile checks, a few of them simulated nuclear assaults on South Korea and the U.S.
