Foal Eagle Foal Eagle ( ) is an annual combined Field Training Exercise ( FTX ) conducted between the Republic of Korea ( ROK ) and United States armed forces under the auspices of Combined Forces Command ( CFC ) within the Korean Theater of Operations ( KTO ) . It is one of the largest military exercises conducted annually in the world . While defensive in nature and conducted primarily as a rear area security and stability training exercise , Foal Eagle has been a source of friction with the government of Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea ( DPRK ) and domestic ROK critics . Overview . The primary purpose of Foal Eagle is to demonstrate American - South Korean military resolve to deter war on the Korean peninsula and to improve the combined and joint operational posture of those forces . Foal Eagle is a purely defensive exercise which tests the capability of South Korea to defend itself , assisted by U . S . Armed Forces , and it is also primarily a rear area security and stability operations , onward movement of critical assets to the forward area , special operations , ground maneuver , amphibious operations , combat air operations , maritime action group operations and counter special operations forces exercises ( CSOFEX ) . United Nations Command informs the Korean People ' s Army in North Korea that South Korea and the United States would be conducting the routine defensive exercise . The United Nations Command also reassured the Korean People ' s Army at general officer - level talks that these exercises , conducted annually in or around March , are purely defensive in nature and have no connection to ongoing or current events . The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission monitors the exercise to ensure that there are no violations of the Korean Armistice Agreement . Since 2001 , Foal Eagle combined with the annual American - South Korean Reception , Staging , Onward movement , and Integration ( RSOI ) combined exercises , with RSOI being renamed Key Resolve in 2008 . Foal Eagle 1997 took place between 17 October and 6 November 1997 , and it included a non - combatant evacuation operation ; reception , staging , onward movement and integration ( RSOI ) maneuvers ; combat operations ; and anti - infiltration activities . One significant feature of FE 97 was the deployment of the U . S . Coast Guard cutter with the carrier strike group led by the carrier . " Hamilton " also participated in a combined joint navy - coast guard force to provide defense ring around the harbor of Pusan . Foal Eagle 1998 was notable for a number of accomplishments . It marked the use of the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System ( MILES ) by all exercise participants , allowing forces to engage in realistic battle conditions without the loss of personnel or equipment . FE 98 marked the first time that the U . S . Navy established anti - submarine operations centers off both coasts of Korea with the U . S . Seventh Fleet ' s battle force , Task Force 70 , in tactical command of ROK and American submarines . Foal Eagle 1998 also featured an amphibious assault involving seven battalions of ROK and U . S . forces . Foal Eagle 1999 took place between 26 October and 5 November 1999 , and that year ' s exercise scenario involved defending against infiltration by North Korean special operation forces into the rear area . Most training sites were located well south of Seoul , with training events included firing blank ammunition and night operations . Foal Eagle 2000 took place between 25 October and 3 November 2000 , it included 30 , 000 U . S . and over 500 , 000 ROK military personnel involved in air and ground operations , as well as maritime operation in defense of Pusan . FE 00 also included a non - combatant evacuation exercise codenamed Courageous Channel . Combined Forces Command ( CFC ) announced that Foal Eagle 2001 was postponed , and starting in 2002 , its annual Foal Eagle exercise would be combined with its Reception , Staging , Onward movement , and Integration ( RSOI ) combined ROK - U . S . exercise . It was also announced that the new exercise would be scheduled for one to two weeks in the spring of 2002 , and the exercise would take place annually thereafter . ROK military did execute an anti - terrorism exercise in 2001 . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2002 took place between 21 – 27 March 2002 , and it featured amphibious warfare training between the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( MEU ) and the " Essex " Amphibious Ready Group which included landing at Tok Sok Ri Beach . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2003 took place between 3 March and 2 April 2003 amid rising tensions between the United States and North Korea who threatened to withdraw from the . Prior to the start of RSOI / FE 03 , a U . S . Air Force RC - 135 reconnaissance aircraft was shadowed by four North Korean aircraft . The 2nd Battalion , 34th Armor Regiment was deployed from Fort Riley , Kansas , to participate in Foal RSOI / Foal Eagle 2003 . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2003 took place between 21 – 28 March 2004 , it featured amphibious warfare training exercises between the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( MEU ) and the " Essex " Amphibious Ready Group which were supported by P - 3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from Patrol Squadron One ( VP - 1 ) . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2004 demonstrated the role of air power in theater - wide military operations as ROK Air Force worked closely with U . S . Marine Corps ' Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 ( MWSS 171 ) and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 ( VMFA - 122 ) from Marine Aircraft Group 12 ( MAG - 12 ) , as well as Carrier Air Wing Two ( CVW - 2 ) from the U . S . Navy ' s Carrier Strike Group Nine led by the carrier . Operational summary . RSOI / Foal Eagle series . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2006 took place between 26 – 31 March 2006 , and is designed to improve the commands ' abilities to defend the ROK and includes a full range of equipment , capabilities and personnel . This year ’ s exercise marked the 45th Foal Eagle exercise and the fifth time it ’ s been combined with RSOI . This exercise featured close - air support for ground units , air - to - air defense exercises , maritime interoperability training , and expeditionary operations involving Carrier Strike Group Nine , with the carrier serving as the exercise ' s maritime command - and - control node . 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ( MEU ) and " Essex " Amphibious Ready Group participated in assault climbing , live - fire ranges , urban combat training , community outreach efforts , and a combined amphibious landing with 3rd Regimental Landing Team , 1st ROK Marine Division and the ROK Navy ' s Amphibious Squadron 53 ( " pictured " ) . In addition to the rehearsed scenarios throughout RSOI / FE 06 , the salvage ships and ROKS " Pyeongtaek " ( ATS - 27 ) conducted a real - world salvage operation for a U . S . Air Force F - 16C fighter aircraft that crashed off South Korea ’ s coast on 14 March 2006 as part in the 21st combined diving and salvage exercise ( SALVEX 06 ) . RSOI / Foal Eagle 2006 took place between 25 – 31 March 2007 , with its initial focused on initial operational flow of deployed forces to Korean theater of operations ( KTO ) . This RSOI phase incorporated receiving military units in Korea ( reception ) ; connecting units with their equipment once in country ( staging ) ; moving them into their respective strategic position within the peninsula ( onward movement ) and integrating newly arrived forces with the forces that are already here ( integration ) . The Foal Eagle phase included amphibious landing involving over 3 , 000 American marines and sailors as well as 1 , 400 ROK marines . Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2008 included the participation with U . S . Navy Carrier Strike Group Eleven , led by the carrier , and marked the first time that the RSOI phase would be known by its new resignation of Key Resolve . Key Resolve was now primarily a command - post exercise with computer - based simulations that focused on deploying troops and equipment to Korea in the event of an attack while Foal Eagle continued to be a series of field exercises . Both exercises have U . S . troops training with South Korean military personnel . Key Resolve / Foal Eagle series . Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2009 began on 28 February 2009 . Key Resolve / Foal Eagle was held in the aftermath of the sinking of the ROK corvette " Cheonan " and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island by North Korea . Approximately 12 , 800 U . S . and 200 , 000 South Korean troops participated in the exercise . Key Resolve was the computer - based simulation portion of the combined exercise , while Foal Eagle was the peninsula - wide training portion of the exercise . Key Resolve was scheduled to end March 10 , and Foal Eagle on April 30 . The major U . S . naval formation that participated in Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2009 was Carrier Strike Group Three ( " pictured " ) . During the exercise , the aircraft carrier was overflown by two Russian Ilyushin Il - 38 maritime patrol aircraft on 16 March and two Tupolev Tu - 95 long - range bombers on 17 March . In both incidents , the intruders were intercepted and escorted by F / A - 18 Hornets until the Russian aircraft left the exercise area . Task Force Hawkins , an army battalion , deployed from the United States , drawing equipment from Army Preposition Stock - 4 at Camp Carol , Korea . The task force conducted live - fire exercises at Rodriguez Range . The task force also appears to have been designated TF Hawkins II , and included soldiers from 1 - 64 Armor and 2 - 5 FA . Special Operations Command Korea conducted airborne jumps with a helium blimp and gondola at the ROK Drop Zone prior to the official start of RSOI / FE 09 . Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2010 took place between 8 – 18 March 2010 , which included U . S . Seventh Air Force and Marine Aircraft Group 12 participating in the Key Resolve phase of computer simulated exercise scenarios as well as physical military exercises during the Foal Eagle phase . The Combined Battle Simulation Center , collocated with the U . S . - Korea Battle Simulation Center , served as the exercise hub . The operational force was based at another simulation facility , the Warrior Training Center at Camp Casey , South Korea . Other simulation organizations included the Korea Air Simulation Center on Osan Air Base , South Korea ’ s Army Battle Command Training Program in Daejeon , and the III Marine Expeditionary Force ’ s Tactical Exercise Control Group , based at Camp Courtney in Okinawa , Japan . The annual Key Resolve / Foal Eagle exercise started 28 February 2011 , and employed almost 13 , 000 U . S . troops and more than 200 , 000 South Korean troops , as well as a U . S . Navy carrier strike group led by the . Key Resolve involved computer - based military simulations that ran from 10 March 10 , while Foal Eagle field training programs were completed by 31 March 2011 . The annual Key Resolve exercise took place between 28 February and 9 March 2012 , and it employed almost 200 , 000 South Korean troops and 2 , 100 U . S . troops . About 800 more U . S . participants will come from outside South Korea . Also , observers from Australia , Canada , Denmark , Norway and Britain , took part as members of the U . N . Command . Separately from the Key Resolve , the Foal Eagle exercises took place from March 1 to April 30 , and it included about 11 , 000 U . S . forces plus South Korean troops in division - sized or smaller unit operations . Foal Eagle 2012 was marred by the loss of a U . S . Air Force F - 16 fighter that crashed in a rice paddy on 21 March 2012 , about 150 miles south of Seoul , near Kunsan Air Base . The pilot ejected safely , and the F - 16 was a unit of the 51st Fighter Wing . Controversy & criticism . Like earlier Team Spirit exercises , Foal Eagle exercises have been a source of controversy with the government of North Korea and domestic South Korean critics . In response to the start of Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2008 , North Korea ' s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issued a statement via the official Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) that read in part : Also , for Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2010 , KCNA quoted North Korea ' s military high command warning about the upcoming ROK - U . S . joint exercise as follows : For RSOI / Foal Eagle 2007 , ROK domestic protesters stuck stickers on American vehicles as they landed on the Malipo Beach , a public beach . In response , for RSOI / Foal Eagle 2008 , almost 800 South Korean combat police guarded Malipo Beach . Also , between 40 and 80 protesters demonstrated on a sidewalk overlooking Malipo Beach . During Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2010 , U . S . Forces Korea advised U . S . military personnel and dependents about announced protests by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and a group known as Pyong Tong San around the Korean War Memorial . Held in the aftermath of the sinking of the ROKS " Cheonan " and the live - fire shelling of Yeonpyeong Island during 2010 as well as the breakdown of bilateral military talks on February 11 , 2011 , RSOI / Foal Eagle 2011 was held during a period of heightened tension on the Korean peninsula . On February 28 , 2011 , a North Korean military ' s statement threatened a " merciless counteraction as engulfing Seoul in sea of flames " while the Korean Central News Agency urged " direct fire at sources of the anti - DPRK psychological warfare to destroy them on the principle of self - defense . " Also , on February 28 , 2011 , 30 South Korean activists demonstrated outside one of the military exercise control centers at Seongnam while issuing a press statement that " strongly urge South Korea and the U . S . to stop fooling Koreans and the world and to stop the exercise which aims to invade North Korea and to overturn the regime . " For Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2012 , the Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) issued a statement on 27 February 2012 criticizing that year ' s exercises : During Key Resolve / Foal Eagle 2013 , North Korea threatened to abandon the Korean Armistice Agreement , arguing the exercises threatened North Korea with nuclear weapons and that the U . S . was unwilling to negotiate a peace treaty to replace the armistice . JoongAng Ilbo reported that U . S . vessels equipped with nuclear weapons were participating in the exercise , and The Pentagon publicly announced that B - 52 bombers flown over South Korea were reaffirming the U . S . " nuclear umbrella " for South Korea .