S. Korea, U.S. navies staging regular rescue drills

▲ This photo, provided by the Navy, shows the South Korean and U.S. navies injecting air into a lifting bag as part of simulated training to pull up a sinking ship off waters in Jinhae district, Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on April 8, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-rescue drills

S. Korea, U.S. navies staging regular rescue drills

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States launched their regular rescue training drills earlier this week aimed at enhancing interoperability between their navies, the South's Navy said Thursday.

The Salvage Exercise (SALVEX), which kicked off Monday for a five-day run, is under way in waters off Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Navy.

The drills brought together troops from the Navy's Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit (SSU), the ROKS Tongyeong salvage and rescue ship, and the U.S. Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Notably, the Australian Clearance Diving Team and a special rescue unit of the Korea Coast Guard joined the exercise for the first time this year, working together with the Navy to strengthen their joint rescue capabilities.

During the drills, the troops conducted underwater search missions while aboard the rescue ship and engaged in scuba training to search for the missing under a simulated sinking ship scenario.

The joint exercise is aimed at enhancing rescue operations capabilities in peacetime and during war, and strengthening interoperability between the navies.

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