SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – In a demonstration of its rapid deployment capabilities, an armored unit from the U.S. mainland has conducted live-fire exercises in South Korea, showcasing its ability to quickly project combat power in the Indo-Pacific region.
The U.S. Eighth Army in Korea revealed on August 13 that soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division participated in a rapid deployment exercise from August 5 to 9.
In addition, as part of 24 UFS/TIGER, soldiers from the ROK Army’s 1st Armoured Brigade Advance Battalion and the U.S. 1st Armoured Division’s Thunderbolt Battalion also participated, conducting additional training from 9-14 August at the Paju Promotion Training Area.
The exercise took place at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, involving live-fire training with M1A2 Abrams tanks, M109-A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, and M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicles.
The battalion, normally stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, deployed to the Korean Peninsula in late July. Upon arrival, they drew combat equipment from the Army Prepositioned Stocks-4 (APS-4).
This strategic cache of combat equipment, positioned in South Korea and Japan, is designed to facilitate the rapid projection of combat power throughout the Indo-Pacific theater.
The rapid deployment exercise tests the U.S. Army’s ability to successfully deploy troops to a given environment, conduct training, and then redeploy to their home station.
This process is crucial for maintaining readiness and demonstrating the military’s capacity to respond swiftly to potential crises in the region.
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Lorette, commander of the 4th Battalion, emphasized the significance of the exercise. “Through this no-notice deployment exercise, we were able to demonstrate our ability to project combat power to the Indo-Pacific region within a limited timeframe,” he said.
“We quickly drew combat vehicles from APS-4, allowing the Army to validate its combat readiness in a critical area of responsibility.”
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
