1.8万余名兵力参加、22场野外机动训练，韩美启动“自由之盾”联合军演

【环球时报驻韩国特派记者 莽九晨】The joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States, code-named "Freedom Shield," commenced on the 9th and will continue until the 19th. According to the Korea News Agency, the simulated scenarios of this exercise incorporate lessons learned from analyzing recent warfare patterns and other substantial threats.

Reports indicate that as South Korea and the United States accelerate the transfer of wartime operational command, this joint military exercise is expected to focus on assessing whether the conditions for the transfer have been met. Approximately 18,000 troops are participating in this exercise, which is on par with last year's scale. During the exercise, South Korea and the United States will conduct 22 field maneuver training sessions, less than half of last year's total (51 sessions). During the previous administration, field maneuver training was primarily concentrated during the "Freedom Shield" exercise (March) and the "Eulji Freedom Shield" (August), but the current government prefers to implement this training throughout the year. Analysts believe that South Korea and the United States may have considered the opinion that "it is necessary to adjust the scale of the exercise to create conditions for the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States before President Trump's visit to China," leading to a significant reduction in the number of field maneuver training sessions.

Additionally, according to a report from the South Korean "Chosun Ilbo" on the 9th, there are signs that the combat power of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea may have been redeployed to the Middle East. According to real-time aviation tracking websites, since February 22, U.S. C-5 and C-17 transport aircraft have made multiple takeoffs and landings at the Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province. As of March 7, C-5 transport aircraft have taken off multiple times from Osan Air Base, while C-17 transport aircraft have taken off more than 10 times. Most of these activities were concentrated after the U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran on February 28. At least two C-5 transport aircraft arrived at Osan Air Base in late February and left South Korea on February 28 and March 2, respectively. Experts indicate that the C-5 transport aircraft were headed to the U.S. military's forward base in the Middle East, specifically the Diego Garcia military base located in the Indian Ocean.

The Director of the South Korean Autonomous Defense Network Affairs Bureau, Lee Il-woo (phonetic), stated that F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. military stationed in Japan had previously been redeployed to Diego Garcia, and the U.S. has pre-deployed strategic bombers to Diego Garcia for airstrikes against Iran. Therefore, it is possible that the U.S. military stationed in South Korea may transfer the "Patriot" missile system to enhance air defense capabilities. Recently, some "Patriot" missile systems stationed at other U.S. military bases in South Korea, such as Pyeongtaek, have been moved to Osan Air Base.

According to the "Chosun Ilbo," some C-17 transport aircraft that took off from Osan Air Base passed through the United States and Europe and appeared in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt between the 6th and 8th. Experts believe that the U.S. may be transporting weapons such as the "Patriot" missile system and the "THAAD" missile defense system, which are owned by the U.S. military stationed in South Korea and the U.S. European Command, to the Middle East.