This file photo, taken Jan. 13, 2023, show South Korean and U.S. soldiers engaging in combined drills at a training site in Paju, 28 kilometers northwest of Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea and the United States plan to incorporate “live, virtual and constructive” (LVC) training elements in this year’s springtime combined military exercise for the first time in five years, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday, as part of efforts to bolster readiness against evolving North Korean threats.
The LVC framework refers to “live” field maneuvers, “virtual” simulation drills and “constructive” war games — three key elements that are intertwined and synchronized based on the same exercise scenario.
The allies last applied the LVC concept during the now-suspended Foal Eagle field exercise in 2018.
“Freedom Shield is a prime opportunity to leverage LVC capabilities,” USFK spokesperson Col. Isaac Taylor told Yonhap News Agency, referring to the allies’ regular exercise expected to take place next month.
“As technology has matured, the ability to synchronize the ‘live,’ ‘virtual’ and ‘constructive’ domains has improved, and as these capabilities evolve and mature, their use will continue to be incorporated into the exercise design to enhance combat readiness,” he added.
LVC elements have not been infused into the two countries’ combined drills in recent years, as their computer-simulated command post exercises took place separately from field drills following the suspension of the Foal Eagle exercise in 2019.
The plan to resume the LVC concept comes as the Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden administrations have been pushing to reinforce combined drills that were scaled back or suspended during the former Moon Jae-in government keen on inter-Korean engagement.
The tech-based LVC concept is not new, Taylor pointed out, as the U.S. military has long been harnessing it to enhance realism in its training programs and the effectiveness of those programs, and minimize logistical training requirements.
The allies are poised to conduct some 20 combined exercises at the same level of intensity as the Foal Eagle drills in the first half of this year, according to Seoul’s defense ministry.
Taylor hinted the USFK would seek to apply LVC elements in those planned exercises.
“The combined training is focused on ensuring that units are combat ready to execute their wartime mission,” he said. “Where applicable, USFK leverages LVC capabilities to enhance that training.”
(Yonhap)
