The joint annual U.S.-South Korea military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), has reached its midpoint, with military-only training set to begin today. South Korea is bolstering its readiness in anticipation of possible provocative actions from North Korea, which has denounced the U.S.-South Korea exercises as a “nuclear war demonstration.”
The second phase of UFS training will take place from August 26 to August 29. This follows the earlier crisis management exercise (CMS), which ran from August 13 to August 16, and the government exercise (Ulchi exercise), which was held from August 19 to 23.
Earlier in the month, from July 30 to August 3, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Joint Staff, and U.S. Forces Korea conducted the first military-to-military Tabletop Exercise (TTX) “Iron Mace” at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. This exercise simulated various scenarios, including potential North Korean nuclear threats and U.S. and South Korean forces’ combined defense and counterattack capabilities.
The second phase of UFS will feature 48 field training exercises (FTX), an increase of 10 from last year’s total of 38. These exercises will include the Ssangyong (double dragon) joint amphibious operation, integrated firepower drills, and live-action and shooting drills across land, sea, and air domains.
The U.S. and South Korea plan to carry out multi-domain operations that incorporate various assets, focusing on countering North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The exercises will address growing missile threats, GPS signal jamming, cyberattacks, and threats across multiple domains, reflecting real-world challenges.
U.S. strategic assets may be deployed to the Korean Peninsula during the second phase of the UFS exercises. Last year, a U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bomber flew over the peninsula, participating in joint air drills with South Korean fighter jets.
The newly established strategic command will launch in October and will organize its command and control headquarters this year. This headquarters will perform a final assessment of mission capabilities to ensure the strategic command’s readiness.
South Korea’s military is bracing for the possibility that North Korea might use the deployment of U.S. strategic assets and joint exercises as a pretext for provocative actions. On August 18, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry American Studies Institute labeled UFS as a “nuclear war demonstration,” asserting that it will “stockpile maximum deterrent capabilities” to maintain a balance of power and prevent conflict.
Earlier this year, North Korea refrained from missile launches during the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise Freedom Shield. Still, it conducted training to strike South Korean front-line posts and metropolitan areas. In response, it issued GPS jamming signals over the five islands in the Yellow Sea.
Analysts speculate North Korea may be reluctant to engage in aggressive military actions due to the extensive troop deployment required to recover from recent flooding in the northwest. Additionally, the country continues to work on constructing barriers along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
A military official noted, “U.S.-South Korea intelligence authorities are closely monitoring North Korea’s various military activities,” and emphasized, “Our military is thoroughly conducting the UFS exercises while maintaining a strong state of readiness.”