South Korean and American forces are said to be at a readiness unlike any in the world, wound up to spring into all-out war if need be at the sound of a klaxon. This readiness in showcased during combined live fire drills, where the total force is brought together as much for show and intimidation as for training.
The latest event took place at Seungjin range in Phocheon-gun, some 50 miles north of Seoul, on August 24 right as the two countries seemed to be ready for war.
The setting for this live fire event, a mountainous valley among the lush terrain of the central Korean Peninsula, gives it an almost toy soldier-like appeal. But don’t let that fool you, the ordinances being launched and the weapons involved are very real, and the array of weaponry demonstrated is dizzying.
This video showcases nearly the full spectrum of land-combat capabilities: the E-7 Widget Airborne Early Warning And Control aircraft, KUH-1 helicopters inserting special forces, a whole assortment of armor, and much more.
This is not to say that the North does not possess potent if rudimentary combat capabilities in high numbers that could destroy large swathes of South Korea, but if the choice for war is left up to those in command in the North, the idea is this would be a taste of what they would be facing.
Sometimes it is hard to put a finger on the idea of deterrence. But if you were Kim Jong Un or one of his generals, it may make you think twice about whether you’d be ordering your own destruction.
Contact the author at Tyler@jalopnik.com.