S. Korea, U.S. hold joint live-fire drills involving drones

▲ South Korean and U.S. troops pose for a group photo after completing a combined arms live-fire exercise at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, about 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, on March 24, 2026, in this photo provided by the U.S. Army. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-drills

S. Korea, U.S. hold joint live-fire drills involving drones

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean and U.S. troops have conducted a combined arms live-fire exercise involving reconnaissance drones, the U.S. Army stationed in South Korea said Friday, in apparent efforts to strengthen their interoperability while incorporating new technologies.

Some 900 troops from both sides took part in the drills that concluded earlier this week at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, about 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, according to the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division.

Among the personnel taking part in the drills were paratroopers from the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska, the military unit said, saying their deployment for the exercise "highlights a force not bound by distance."

Under the training scenario, reconnaissance drones identified enemy positions, followed by a multi-domain assault involving launches of the South's 81-millimeter mortars and U.S. 60-mm mortars, as well as precision strikes by U.S. Army Apache helicopters.

On the ground, K2 battle tanks and K21 infantry fighting vehicles supported the assault by closing in on the enemy.

"By integrating latest technology applications like unmanned aerial systems and executing complex, multi-domain operations, the U.S. and ROK alliance is actively forging a more lethal, agile, and interoperable force prepared to deter aggression and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region," the U.S. military unit said in a release. ROK refers to the formal name of South Korea.

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