CTF-73 joins SALVEX Korea 2026

U.S. Navy divers with Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 wrapped up Salvage Exercise Korea 2026 at Jinhae Naval Base alongside Australian maritime forces and Republic of Korea counterparts from April 6 to 10, marking the 42nd iteration of the training series that began in 1985 and underscoring decades of cooperation between the U.S. and ROK navies.

This year’s event brought together the Royal Australian Navy’s Clearance Diving Team 1, the ROK Coast Guard Special Rescue Unit, the ROK Navy Ship Salvage and Rescue Unit, and U.S. Navy MDSU-1 to sharpen interoperability and combined readiness for diving, salvage, and maritime response operations across the Indo-Pacific.

“It’s almost seamless—we’re able to pick up exactly what our partners are doing despite the language barrier because we work to standardize best practices and procedures,” said U.S. Navy Diver 1st Class Benjamin Guerra, assigned to MDSU-1.

Over the weeklong exercise, participating units integrated on underwater search and recovery, salvage operations, remotely operated vehicle employment, and mixed-gas and surface-supplied diving evolutions. Teams also carried out port clearance scenarios, simulated missing persons searches, deep-water dives, and controlled sonar-assisted recovery drills, reinforcing skills applicable to missions ranging from maritime contingencies to humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

In a shift from the 2025 iteration, the addition of the Royal Australian Navy made the event a trilateral engagement, further reinforcing alliances and partnerships that underpin regional stability.

Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 provides expeditionary logistics and diving and salvage capabilities to the U.S. 7th Fleet, enabling sustained maritime operations and supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely operates with allies and partners to help preserve that objective.