The “Freedom Shield” combined military drills that began Monday in Southeast Asia will feature nuclear-capable ships and aircraft along with simulated weapons testing to counter potential North Korean nuclear threats in the region.
Reuters reported that the joint exercise involves participation from 12 nations and is the first such military drill since North Korea canceled its involvement in the 2018 Inter-Korean Military Pact in November. After a five-year hiatus, the joint exercise was resumed last year. This year’s drills will involve twice as many troops as the previous year, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The military exercise involves all branches of the U.S. military, South Korean forces, and assets from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Thailand. As part of the 1953 Armistice Agreement, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, comprised of Sweden and Switzerland, will monitor the training.
“One key aspect of the training event focuses on conducting multi-domain operations leveraging land, sea, air, cyber, and space assets with emphasis on counter nuclear operations and non-kinetic effects,” a news release by the United States Forces Korea stated.
The drills come as heightened attention is being paid to aggressive moves by North Korean leader Kim Jung Un. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) reported that North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have dramatically improved in recent years.
“Current estimates suggest that North Korea has sufficient fissile material to deploy around fifty to seventy nuclear weapons,” CFR noted in February. “In addition, the range and accuracy of North Korea’s nuclear delivery capabilities have improved, and its inventory has expanded to include both tactical and strategic nuclear weapons and delivery systems.”
North Korea successfully launched its first satellite in November 2023, reportedly in collaboration with Russia. Evidence has emerged that Russia is using North Korean-produced missiles against Ukraine.
“The expanding North Korea-Russia military relationship has been accompanied by a steady increase of high-level diplomatic contacts between Pyongyang and Moscow, most notably including Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia from September 12 to 17 and summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome,” CFR stated.
The military drills between the NATO allies and South Korea are believed to involve aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, and other advanced capabilities with the specific intention of practicing methods to destroy North Korean nuclear capabilities. Reuters reported that the drills risk escalating aggression from North Korea and could result in a seventh nuclear missile test or a strategic missile launch to demonstrate range and capabilities.
