South Korean, Japanese Navies To Hold SAREX Exercise

08.11.2011 Naval forces of South Korea and Japan will conduct 7th annual search-and-rescue exercise SAREX in Nov 12-13 off Pusan, South Korea, reports Yonhap.

According to South Korean Navy's release, the maneuvers are held in order to practice joint reaction of the two navies on sea incidents; the exercise promotes bilateral cooperation and has peaceful and humanitarian nature.

South Korean Navy will be represented by destroyer Wang Geon, multirole helicopter Lynx, and patrol airplane P-3. Japan dispatches destroyers Hamayuki and Matsuyuki, 2 multirole helicopters SH-60J Seahawk and patrol airplane P-3.

The participants will render assistance to a "distressed" vessels and practice helicopter takeoff and landing on the deck.

Upon termination of the SAREX exercise, South Korean mariners will call at Japanese port Maizuru to summarize the exercise and visit assets of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Japanese-Korean SAREX joint exercise is conducted since 1999.