The U.S. Navy’s Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7, or MCMRON 7, joined its South Korean counterpart in a 10-day mine detection and neutralization exercise that ended Wednesday. The Republic of Korea Navy deployed its Mine Squadron 52 in the collaborative naval defense effort called the Korea Spring Exercise held off the southeast Korean coast.
The drills included squadrons jointly clearing a simulated minefield to open a safe route for allied vessels. In the process, the participants practiced communication between the squadrons and acted as a bilateral force seeking to maximize their combined mine-hunting strategies and techniques.
Surface Vessels, Submarines and Helicopters Deployment
The U.S. 7th Fleet deployed the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Warrior (MCM 10), along with elements from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and two MH-53E helicopters. The Korean contingent included four minehunter ships, two minelayer ships, two submarines, a patrol boat and a military helicopter.
Capt. Antonio Hyde, MCMRON 7 commodore, called the joint exercise an “outstanding opportunity” to learn the roles of each American and Korean team in the complex mine countermeasure mission. “This exercise continues to show the region that the U.S. and Korean navies are committed to preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Hyde commented.
Foundation for Future Mine Warfare Efforts
Capt. Lee Taek-seon, ROK Mine Squadron 52 commodore, noted that the Korea Spring Exercise enabled improvement on joint operational capabilities, as well as opened opportunities for future directions to explore in mine warfare development. “We will continue to conduct practical mine warfare trainings to further strengthen our abilities to protect major ports and sea lines of communications in case of emergency,” he added.
Initiatives among private firms are also underway in South Korean mine countermeasures. In February, Northrop Grumman signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean conglomerate Hanwha to advance Seoul’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program. The Hanwha deal follows the collaboration between Northrop and defense and aerospace communications company Genohco in August to deliver hardware for the mine countermeasure initiative.
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