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US and South Korean militaries will have joint drills in March as tensions with North Korea escalate
The Freedom Shield drills will include about 18,000 South Korean troops and focus on joint readiness and deterrence training as part of OPCON transfer preparations.
- On February 25, 2026, U.S. and South Korean militaries announced Freedom Shield will run March 9-19, describing it as `defensive in nature` in Seoul.
- To bolster combined defence capabilities, South Korean and U.S. officials said the exercise will include deterrence scenarios on North Korea's nuclear weapons and support wartime operational control transfer to South Korea.
- Freedom Shield is one of two annual command-post exercises, the other being Ulchi Freedom Shield, and will be largely computer-simulated to test joint capabilities while Warrior Shield accompanies the drill.
- Pyongyang has long denounced the drills as invasion rehearsals and used them to boost military demonstrations and weapons testing, while the exercises typically involve thousands shaping regional readiness.
- Seoul reportedly proposed scaling back field elements during the Ruling Workers' Party congress, but the U.S. resisted, and talks on adjusting drills continue up to the last minute.
55 Articles
55 Articles
US, South Korea to conduct ‘Freedom Shield’ joint military drills in March
The United States and South Korea will conduct joint military drills known as “Freedom Shield” next month, military officials from both countries announced on Wednesday. The directors of public affairs for the two allies announced that the 2026 Freedom Shield exercises will take place between March 9 and 19. Freedom Shield is conducted every spring. It is expected to involve approximately 18,000 troops — similar in scale to previous years, the s…
South Korean, US militaries to hold joint drills amid North Korean tensions
SEOUL — The militaries of the United States and South Korea said on Wednesday they would conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries’ combined defense capabilities as a diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea deepens.
U.S., South Korean militaries will have joint drills in March as tensions with North Korea escalate
The U.S. and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries' combined defense capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea.
US and South Korean militaries to have joint drills in March as tensions with North Korea escalate
SEOUL: The US and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday (Feb 25) they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries' combined defence capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea. The Freedom Shield drills are s
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