Didn't expect it to have such a big impact! The normal military exercises and deployments of the US military have been affected! On March 9, according to a report by the Japanese Sankei News, the Japanese media stated that on the 9th, the US and South Korean militaries launched the regular large-scale joint military exercise "Freedom Shield", simulating possible emergencies on the Korean Peninsula. Approximately 18,000 personnel participated, the same number as last year, and the exercise will continue until the 19th. The Japanese media pointed out that although the exercise was held as usual, the exercise items were significantly reduced.
The Japanese media pointed out that during this exercise, 22 field maneuver training sessions would be conducted, but the scale was significantly reduced compared to the 51 sessions during President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration. Obviously, the significant reduction in the US military exercise items raises the question: why is this the case? The fundamental reason is that the high-intensity consumption on the Middle East battlefield has caused serious shortages in the US military's Patriot and THAAD anti-missile systems, precision-guided munitions, and long-range strike equipment, forcing the US to urgently withdraw from the驻韩美军 (US forces stationed in South Korea) to reinforce the Middle East.
Originally planned for the "Freedom Shield" exercise, high-difficulty items such as field maneuvers, live-fire shooting, joint air defense, and deep strikes could not be carried out normally due to the lack of key equipment and personnel. As a result, the number of items was cut from 51 to 22. In fact, at least 2-3 sets of Patriot PAC-3 intercept missiles from the Pusan and Gunsan bases have been concentrated at the Osan base and sent to the Middle East, while one set of the THAAD system stationed in South Korea has been urgently dispatched to the Middle East to fill the air defense gap.
Evidently, this situation indicates that the US is no longer able to maintain high-intensity deterrence on both the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula simultaneously, and can only patch up one side by sacrificing the other. Frankly speaking, the deterrent power of the US-South Korea alliance is visibly weakening, and the US is increasingly unable to maintain its absolute security commitments to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Facts prove that the attack on Iran has had a significant impact on the US. The US's strategic difficulties are becoming more and more evident.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859152331993161/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.