The South Korean Navy announced Wednesday that it is conducting the combined Korea-U.S. "Salvage Exercise" (SALVEX) in the Jinhae Bay area of South Gyeongsang Province for five days starting January 6.
The combined salvage exercise is an annual drill held in South Korea to prepare for maritime distress situations that may occur during wartime or peacetime. The exercise aims to practice rescue mission procedures and enhance interoperability of rescue and diving equipment between the Korean and U.S. navies.
This year's exercise involves the Rescue Operations Battalion under the Maritime Salvage and Rescue Unit of the Navy Special Warfare Flotilla, the submarine rescue ship ROKS Tongyeong (ATS-II, 3,500-ton class), and personnel from the U.S. Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU).
Notably, this year marks the first participation of the Australian Navy's Australian Clearance Diving Team (ACDT) and members of the Korea Coast Guard's Central Special Rescue Unit, who joined Korean and U.S. naval forces to assess rescue operation capabilities.
During the exercise period, naval personnel from South Korea, the United States, and Australia, along with Coast Guard members, embarked on the Tongyeong to conduct deep-sea underwater search and diving training in the exercise area.
Divers also conducted underwater obstacle search and salvage training near the Jinhae Naval Base pier using the Surface Supplied Diving System (SSDS).
The Surface Supplied Diving System is equipment that supplies air to divers underwater through hoses from a gas supply source on a ship or onshore, and enables communication with divers via communication cables.