(Seoul=News1) Reporter Heo Go-un – South Korea and the United States have announced that they will conduct 22 outdoor field training exercises (FTX) during the upcoming “Freedom Shield” joint exercise scheduled for March 9-19.
On the 27th, a South Korea-U.S. military official informed reporters that the “Freedom Shield” exercise plans have been meticulously coordinated between the two countries, and 22 exercises, including combined river-crossing training, will proceed as planned.
The official explained that among the 22 combined field training exercises, six will be company-level, ten battalion-level, and six brigade-level, clarifying that the number of intended exercises from the initial planning was 22.
Previously, during a briefing related to the Freedom Shield on the 25th, South Korean and U.S. authorities noted that they were in close consultation without disagreements but did not disclose the number of planned field exercises.
It has been suggested that South Korea proposed reducing the number of field exercises to improve relations with North Korea, such as by restoring the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement. However, the U.S. reportedly opposed reducing the drills, considering the personnel and equipment already present or scheduled to arrive in South Korea.
During last year’s Freedom Shield, 13 brigade-level field exercises were conducted, an increase from 10 the previous year. This year, the number of brigade-level exercises is reduced to six. If measured from the battalion level and above, the numbers have significantly decreased from 33 sessions last year to 16 this year.
Nevertheless, South Korea and the U.S. plan to distribute the exercises throughout the year instead of concentrating them during the joint exercise period, maintaining an overall training scale similar to previous years.