US-South Korea military readiness hurt by drill pause
The suspension of US-South Korean drills in summer 2018 hurt the readiness of the two militaries, the nominee to head US and UN forces in South Korea said on 25 September.
General Robert Abrams said the pause in drills, which US President Donald Trump agreed to at his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018, had been a ‘prudent risk’ to help facilitate a detente on the peninsula.
But there ‘was certainly a degradation in the readiness of the force, for the combined forces,’ Abrams told the Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing.
In June 2018, after Trump met Kim in Singapore, the US said it would suspend ‘select’ exercises with South Korea, including the large-scale Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises slated for August 2018.
In September 2018, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the US would end its suspension of drills, though he later walked his comments back saying ‘no decisions’ had been made.
Abrams went on to say that the continued suspension of the drills risked a further erosion in ‘readiness and capability and interoperability of the combined forces,’ though he noted officials were working to minimise issues by running smaller scale staff exercises.
If confirmed, Abrams would fill the post currently occupied by General Vincent Brooks.
In military jargon, the role is ‘triple hatted,’ meaning Abrams would head the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea.
When asked how he views North Korea currently, Abrams said Pyongyang had not changed its military posture but described a ‘general feeling of detente’ on the peninsula.
Referring to North Korea by its official name, Abrams said: ‘It’s been over 300 days since the last major provocation from the DPRK. Since then, there’s been significant dialogue at multiple levels to include ... communications between UN Command and the DPRK at senior officer level for the first time in 11 years.’
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
-
![Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace]()
Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace
Future operational superiority will be defined by the ability to connect systems, data and personnel into a wider network. For armed forces, this creates the need for a digital backbone that integrates and enhances sensors and effectors of all kinds.
-
![Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat]()
Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat
Estonian-made equipment is being put through the toughest of evaluations in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers resisting the full-scale Russian invasion which began in 2022. The country has long seen the threat and is continuing to adapt for the future.
