The United States and South Korea have started the 2024 Freedom Shield Exercise to boost their defenses against North Korean threats. The exercise began amid Pyongyang’s continued aggressive military activities, such as artillery firings and missile launches.
Yonhap News Agency reported that joining the 11-day exercise that kicked off Monday are military elements from the 12 member countries of the United Nations Command, including Australia, Britain, the Philippines and Thailand.
Multi-domain operations of land, sea, air, cyber and space assets are the focus of the current exercise, along with countering North Korean nuclear capabilities. The U.S. and South Korean armed forces plan 48 on-field drills, more than double last year’s maneuvers.
According to a DVIDS report, all six subordinate commands of the U.S. Eighth Army will participate in the exercise for joint training with the Republic of Korea Army.
Col. Lee Sung-jun, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, disclosed in an earlier briefing that training on the detection and interception of North Korean cruise missiles will be among the activities at Freedom Shield.