US Special Operations troops from many different units are in Korea for a large military exercise to bolster the defenses of South Korea. The Yonhap Korean News agency claims that during the exercise, the Special Operations forces will practice “to decapitate” the North Korean’s military leadership.

According to various reports, US Army Special Forces, and Rangers, as well as Navy SEALs will take part in the big joint maneuvers in South Korea. Yonhap even claims that SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force will be involved although that cannot be confirmed.

The exercise an annual one between the South Koreans and their US counterparts code named “Foal Eagle and Key Resolve” is a joint field exercise and war game, command post simulation that began on March 1 and will take place until April.

Key Resolve the computer-generated command post wargame will end on March 24 but the war games will continue on. The North Korean government accused Washington and Seoul of preparing for an invasion and a “pre-emptive nuclear attack” on their country, therefore justifying Pyongyang’s continuation of its nuclear deterrent and weapons initiative. The North has been rattling its saber recently and launched several ballistic missiles into the ocean that they claim could be aimed at Japan.

In one scenario, South Korean commandos were airlifted to thwart attacks from the North.

Under a scenario of the North Korean military carrying out terrorist assaults on key South Korean facilities, the special forces were drilled to relocate using choppers to search and decimate enemy forces, the Army said.

It also involved refueling operations for the military helicopters, a mission which is crucial when a battle continues for a prolonged period of time.

“The latest exercise was focused on verifying our preparedness to dispatch a commando brigade to the place of an enemy attack in order to preoccupy the site and terminate the battle,” the 2nd Operational Command Chief Gen. Park Chan-ju said.

US conventional forces from the 2nd Infantry Division were practicing clearing tunnels that the North has built under the border with the south.

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Photo courtesy DOD