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Korean Navy undertakes warship recommissioning drills

Published: 18 Mar. 2025, 13:00

The USNS Wally Schirra, a non-commissioned vessel of the U.S. Navy, undergoes maintenance in Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Gyeongsang on Sept. 3, 2024. Photo is not related to article. [HANWHA OCEAN]

The South Korean Navy said Tuesday it conducted drills to practice the recommissioning of a retired warship as part of efforts to maintain the readiness of its reserve forces.

The drills took place at a naval base in Changwon, about 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, involving 119 active service members and reserve forces as well as the retired 1,000-ton ROKS Namwon corvette, according to the Navy.

The troops trained on procedures to mobilize the vessel under a wartime scenario, focusing on measures to operate the warship's armaments and equipment, it said.

Cdr. Park Sung-hee, head of the Reserve Ship Management Battalion, vowed to continue to hold such drills to maintain the combat capabilities of reserve forces.

The ROKS Namwon was retired from service in 2023 after its commissioning in 1990. The Navy usually retires its vessels after around 30 years of service.

The drills took place as part of Freedom Shield, an annual joint exercise between South Korea and the United States, which is set to end its 11-day run on Thursday.

Yonhap