MAY 21, 2026 – U.S. Navy divers assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 (MDSU-1) concluded Salvage Exercise (SALVEX) Korea 2026 alongside Australian maritime forces and Republic of Korea (ROK) forces at Jinhae Naval Base, April 6–10, 2026. The exercise marked the 42nd iteration of the long-standing multilateral training event, reinforcing decades of cooperation between the U.S. Navy and ROK Navy since its inception in 1985.
SALVEX Korea 2026 brought together members of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Clearance Diving Team 1, ROK Coast Guard Special Rescue Unit, ROK Navy Ship Salvage and Rescue Unit, and U.S. Navy MDSU-1 to enhance interoperability and strengthen 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.
Throughout the week, participating units conducted integrated training events including underwater search and recovery, salvage operations, remotely operated vehicle integration, and mixed-gas and surface-supplied diving evolutions. Divers also executed port clearance scenarios, simulated missing persons searches, deep-water diving operations, and controlled sonar-assisted recovery drills, reinforcing their ability to operate across multiple mission sets ranging from maritime contingencies to humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
SALVEX Korea strengthens our alliance by enabling forces to exchange expertise and refine procedures that ensure readiness for real-world operations across the Indo-Pacific. In a change from the 2025 iteration, RAN joined the U.S. Navy and ROK to turn the exercise into a trilateral engagement to further fortify the alliances and partnerships supporting 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 interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.
From Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings