(LEAD) S. Korea to take part in India-led joint naval exercise: sources

(ATTN: UPDATES with details)

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Navy plans to participate in a multilateral naval exercise led by India starting later this week along with more than a dozen other countries, informed sources said Tuesday.

A new Navy frigate, the Gwangju (FFG-817), with around 100 troops on board is heading to the Indian Ocean for Milan 2022, slated to run from Friday till March 4. The United States, Japan, Britain, Australia and 11 other nations are also joining the biennial exercise, with 30 other countries dispatching troops as observers.

It is the first time for South Korea to take part in the training aimed at improving counter-piracy capabilities and interoperability, they added. It was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

colin@yna.co.kr
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