Korea, U.S. militaries launch joint logistics drills on record scale

The Korean and U.S. militaries have launched a combined logistics exercise aimed at strengthening their capabilities to sustain operations during contingencies, involving the largest number of troops to date, the allies said Wednesday.

The allies kicked off the largest-ever combined joint sustainment training (CJST) Monday for a four-day run, in areas near Pohang in North Gyeongsang and Hongcheon in Gangwon, according to the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC).

This year's exercise involved a total of 4,400 Korean and U.S. troops, along with some 600 pieces of equipment, including warships and aircraft, marking the largest scale, it said.

During the drills, the troops conducted the Dragon Lift exercise, which involved transporting injured personnel by medical helicopters and treatment ships in a simulated mass-casualty scenario.

The allies also conducted an over-the-shore logistics exercise to demonstrate their capability to transfer personnel, equipment and supplies from sea to shore when port facilities are unavailable. It marked the first such exercise in nearly nine years since the previous one in 2017.

The biennial CJST exercise, hosted by the CFC, is a joint field exercise designed to train troops to efficiently distribute military logistics, including personnel, fuel and equipment, to combat units.

Yonhap