[News Today] RIVER-CROSSING DRILL WITH ‘SURYONG’

[LEAD]
The South Korean army held a large-scale drill to swiftly conduct river-crossing operations while keeping troops safe. They showcased a new device, "Suryong," a self-propelled amphibious vehicle, for the first time. Here's more.

[REPORT]
Tanks sink when a floating bridge for crossing the river is blown up.

A detour bridge is also cut off, and a retreat path is blocked.

Some 70 tanks and armored vehicles were unable to cross the river because a bridge installation was delayed.
As a result, some one thousand Russian troops were killed.

It was the first instance of Ukrainian troops dealing a deadly blow to the Russian troops near a river connecting the eastern part of Ukraine to Russia's southern region in 2022.

Inspired by this lesson, the South Korean army has held a large-scale drill to swiftly conduct river-crossing operations while keeping troops safe.

First, swarm drones inspect the area to grasp the situation in the enemy's camp.

Just when there appears to be loopholes in the enemy's defense, K21 infantry fighting vehicles, which can float in water, swiftly cross the river, escorted by an Apache helicopter.

Afterward, a wheeled vehicle of the latest model boldly enters the river, unfolds its rear part and instantenously transforms into a raft.

This is South Korea's self-propelled amphibious vehicle Suryong.

It crosses the 280m Namhangang River carrying tanks and armored vehicles.

Improved ribbon bridges used in the past in river-crossing operations took a lot of time and troops to install and assemble. But with the deployment of the Suryong, it takes 80% less personnel and 70% less time to install.

Kim Jin-soo / Commander, 7th Army Engineer Brigade
This drill has given us confidence in quick and stable guarantee of our maneuver forces' offensive conditions.

The South Korean Army says the drill, which involved the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and the ROK-U.S. Combined Division, has served as momentum for inter-connecting South Korean and U.S. military equipment and enhancing combined operations in times of war.