Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii – The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Center hosted the first United States-Republic of Korea Tabletop Academy, demonstrating a significant step in strengthening the US national defense capabilities. The exercise, conducted between July 17-28, brought together critical components of the ROK's Defense branches, specifically the Navy and Air Force's integration with the U.S. air defense strategy.
"Through this exercise, we improved US-ROKinteroperability and strengthened IAMD capabilities between the two countries," ROK Air Defense Captain Minseok Jang. "The exercise facilitated identifying and assessing combined IAMD capabilities and challenges within a multilateral environment.
The KTTA 23 was a bilateral Hybrid (In-person/Virtual) Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) event. It provided a classified platform for open collaboration, exchange of views, and regional IAMD operations between the United States and the ROK, by organizing events like the KTTA, the exercise aimed to foster theater security cooperation while identifying combined IAMD capabilities and challenges within a multilateral environment.
"The training was beneficial due to the inclusion of the ROK Navy in this year's academy," said ROK Air Defense Warrant Officer Ho-Seung Lee. "It expanded the scope of collaboration and allowed for a more comprehensive assessment of joint capabilities, particularly in maritime defense scenarios."
In a historical development, this year's exercise included the ROK Navy, marking the first-ever Joint Korean TableTop Academy (KTTA). Collaborating alongside the ROK Navy and Air Force, including U.S. entities actively engaged in the event. It included the Pacific Air Force (PACAF), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), U.S. Space Command, and the Joint Ballistic Missile Defense Training & Education Center (JBTEC). The academy primarily focused on enhancing combined ROK-U.S. IAMD expertise through hands-on International Simulations (I-SIM), aligning with the U.S. INDOPACOM Vision 2028.
This academy reflects the United States' commitment to strengthening its national defense and demonstrates the significance of international partnerships in addressing complex security threats. By fostering collaboration and sharing expertise, the U.S. and the ROK work towards enhancing their collective defense capabilities and promoting stability in the Pacific region.
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