South Korea and the United States held large-scale combined air assault drills in various locations across the country this week, the South's Army said Friday, in a move to strengthen joint operational capabilities. The five-day drills from Monday, involving some 1,400 personnel and over 40 helicopters and transport aircraft, took place in Gyeonggi Province, surrounding Seoul, and the mountainous county of Inje, 126 kilometers east of the capital, according to the Army. During the drills, Air Force special operations troops infiltrated target areas backed by troops from the Army's 2nd Quick Response Division to secure a safe zone for C-130H transport aircraft to drop supplies. Dozens of CH-47 Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawk choppers also transported troops for air assault operations, with AH-64E Apache attack helicopters escorting them, the Army said. "By training with the Air Force and U.S. troops, (this exercise) was designed to strengthen wartime operational capabilities, as well as combined and joint o perational capabilities," the Army said in a release. The drills took place in connection with the allies' annual computer-simulated Freedom Shield exercise designed to bolster deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Freedom Shield ended its 11-day run on Thursday. Source: Yonhap News Agency
Myanmar Clears Path for Junta Leader to Become President
March 30, 2026