An amphibious air assault exercise has taken place at Bowen as part of Talisman Sabre 2025.
Two Republic of Korea MUH-1 Marineon helicopters departed the ROKS Marado sitting offshore, before delivering an amphibious air assault force that cleared an enemy position.
The Korean marines moved stealthily across the unfamiliar Australian terrain as they located enemy positions, launched a section attack across a creek bed and neutralised the threat before taking control of the objective.
Under the cover of darkness, a combined Australian, United States and Korean reconnaissance team crept ashore in small boats to secure the landing zone, confirm enemy targets and check the terrain to ensure the Korean force could land uncontested.
First Lieutenant Dongmyeong Lee, who led the assault with his platoon from the 51st Battalion, said the exercise strengthened his troops’ ability to adapt quickly and fight alongside coalition partners.
“Today’s operation was successful thanks to each platoon leader and squad leader and how each member was able to perform their own duty successfully,” First Lieutenant Lee said.
“The main difference between the Republic of Korea and Australia is the territory. The elevations are different, the grass is different, but my members were able to adjust quickly and operate in optimal conditions.”
He said adapting to the different terrain and working alongside other nations was an exciting and enriching opportunity for his soldiers, which they hope to continue.
“By training together, we are learning how to operate in foreign terrain and [in the future] they can also learn how to operate in South Korea’s mountainous terrain,” First Lieutenant Lee said.
The Bowen assaults formed just one part of a broader coalition mission, setting the stage for the next phase of the operation.
It was one of four objective sites in the Bowen area – the forces continued to move on to participate in Joint Forcible Entry Operations in Shoalwater Bay.
