South Korea Gears Up for Intense Air Defense Drill Amid Rising Tensions with North Korea

On Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that they will conduct a fourth-quarter joint air defense exercise to refine response procedures against North Korean small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incursions.

This exercise will simulate multiple minor UAV provocations from land and sea, covering areas in the East and West Seas and the rear regions.

The Army’s Ground Operations Command, 2nd Operations Command, and Naval and Air Force Operations Commands are key units participating in the exercise. These units will deploy a range of joint air defense assets to detect, identify, and simulate the interception of enemy UAVs in ground, maritime, and aerial domains.

Military officials have coordinated with local authorities and issued advanced notifications to residents to minimize disturbances from exercise-related noise and prevent potential false reports.

The JCS emphasized maintaining a robust surveillance posture and readiness against North Korea. They noted that U.S. and South Korean forces will continue conducting realistic training exercises to prepare for potential enemy provocations.