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Royal Marines go raiding in South Korea as part of major exercise
10 September 2024
Royal Marines went ‘deep behind enemy lines’ on raiding, surveillance and reconnaissance missions on the Korean Peninsula.
For the second year running, members of the UK Commando Force were deployed to Korea for a major joint exercise between the USA and Republic of Korea – known as Exercise Ssang Yong, or ‘twin dragons’.
The Commandos’ world-renowned expertise in covert raiding operations were put to good use as part of a 13,000-strong allied force, carrying out specialist missions alongside the US Marines’ 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Recon Company and the Republic of Korea Marines Corps’ own recon elements.
A Strike Team of 12 commandos from Taunton-based 40 Commando’s Alpha Company were part of the main efforts around Pohang, a fishing and shipping port on South Korea’s eastern coast on the Sea of Japan.
There, a ‘decisive action’ phase saw large-scale manoeuvres from sea and air to showcase the overwhelming power the allies can bring to bear, namely on complex amphibious operations, to snuff out any potential conflict.
Ahead of that main thrust were 40 Commando and their raiding counterparts, taking out ‘enemy’ targets and feeding back information from their surveillance and reconnaissance work to the commanders to ultimately inform the next move on the battlefield.
“We participated in an immensely successful joint package ranging from aircraft control to a surveillance and reconnaissance mission,” said Major Hugo Grant, in command of Alpha Company.
“The company demonstrated once again that the UK Commando Force is able to deploy and work with partners, anywhere in the world.”
The Commandos also travelled to north of capital Seoul to take part in a separate raid at the Rodriguez Live-Fire Complex. All of this has built deeper partnerships and understanding of combat tactics, as the UK forges deeper bonds in the Indo-Pacific.
The complex is close to where two of 29 Commando’s Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTACS) – who call in air support and strikes – were deployed on the Pilsung ranges at the foot of Mount Taeback, one of the highest mountains in Korea.
There, among the stunning scenery, the Commandos coordinated strikes alongside their US and Korean counterparts from the 6th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company and 2nd Marine Division respectively.
The UK Commando Force also deployed three Information Warfare experts, four mortars and a Real-Life Support team from 40 Commando’s Logistics Company.
Ssang Yong, held regularly since 2012, looks at how allied forces can defend the Korean Peninsula.
The primary focus of this year's exercise was to improve the joint ability to conduct a combined force landing, in which coalition forces swiftly took out key enemy facilities to stop a hypothetical conflict scenario.
The ROK-US Navy and Marine Corps conducted joint amphibious operations, followed by land-based operations to rehearse eliminating enemy forces.
The exercise ran for 13 days – August 26 to September 7 – and included more than 40 ships, 40 aircraft, including F-35B Lightning jets, and 40 Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicles.
Republic of Korea Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Cho Hyun-Chul, who participated in the exercise as battalion commander of the landing forces, said: "This exercise reaffirms the strong alliance between the Republic of Korea and US Marine Corps and further strengthens our combined defence posture. Going forward, the ROK and US Marine Corps will firmly retaliate against any provocation from the enemy."
Royal Marines took part in their first Ssang Yong in 2023 as they returned to the Korean Peninsula for the first time since the Korean War, during which Royal Marines of 41 Independent Commando saw action as far north as Lake Chosin and carried out amphibious raids behind North Korean lines between 1950 and 1951.
40 Commando have been focused on deployments east of the Suez Canal for the past two years, having been deployed in Australia across the summer for Exercise Predators Run.
The Somerset-based unit went more than 400 miles into the outback of the Northern Territory as they spearheaded allied forces taking part in a major show of strength in July and August.
It was part of a regular deployment Down Under, which in recent years has also coupled with jungle training in Belize.