U.S., Republic of Korea navies strengthen alliance through Modernized Strategic Dialogue
On 14 October, senior leaders from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy met at ROK Navy Headquarters in Gyeryeongdae, South Korea, to conclude this year’s strategic dialogue between the U.S. and ROK Navies, reaffirming their shared commitment to a strong maritime alliance. The flag-level CNFK-ROKN HQ Strategic Dialogue is the central event for discussing critical bilateral maritime alliance policy issues between the U.S. and ROK navies to achieve increased operational readiness.
Co-chaired by Rear Adm. Sharif Calfee, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, and Rear Adm. Lee Jong-ee, ROK Navy Chief of Policy, the flag-level dialogue serves as the premier navy-to-navy staff forum for aligning maritime alliance policy and bolstering combined operational readiness. This year the combined team embraced the challenge to modernize the dialogue’s framework towards dynamic discussion, fostering enhanced readiness for both navies. The restructured model establishes a continuous cadence of engagement, including an Annual Flag Review, a Mid-Year Flag Review, and action-oriented working groups led by senior field-grade officers (O-5/O-6).
“Our asymmetric advantage is the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance,” said Calfee. “This dialogue advances the strategic alignment, readiness, and interoperability our navies need to deter aggression and preserve peace.”
Both teams reflected on the meaningful work accomplished in 2026 and identified plans of action for the work ahead in 2027. During the session, leaders discussed a range of topics aimed at bolstering operations within the maritime domain. A primary line of effort was centered on advancing operations, training, and exercises.
The working groups identified several multi-lateral exercises in 2026 and then developed training and planning milestones designed to increase interoperability across the international maritime community. One outcome from this effort was the deliberate preparation with ROK Navy to successfully serve as the RIMPAC 2026 Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC). As the CFMCC, ROKN executed maritime command and control for 37 participating countries. This fall, ROKN Flotilla 5 and CNFK co-hosted the Mine Countermeasure Symposium with representatives from 23 countries. Participants shared observations from real world operations and options to increase cooperation in the littoral domain.
The modernized discussion created flexibility to incorporate multiple naval stakeholder commands into the engagement planning. This effort included visits between ROKN and USN training commands. Cultivating talent management in the ROKN Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, U.S. Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) and Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) visited their ROK counterparts to offer tools and recommendations in support of recruiting and retention goals aligned to development of the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps.
Parallel to talent management, the strategic dialogue prioritized high-end tactical proficiency and certification. Recognizing that U.S. Warfare Development Centers (WDCs) and Tactical Training Groups (TTGs) serve as essential engines for operational lethality, the ROK Naval Force Analysis, Test and Evaluation (NFATEG) will conduct subject-matter exchanges with U.S. Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) and Tactical Training Group Pacific (TTGP) in San Diego, formalizing bilateral exchanges between both navies’ tactical proficiency hubs.
“The U.S.-ROK naval alliance continues to modernize in response to an increasingly complex security environment,” said Calfee. “By strengthening combined operations, exercises, and sustainment, we are building a more capable and resilient maritime force.”
CNFK is the U.S. Navy's representative in the Republic of Korea, providing leadership and expertise in naval matters fortifying the enduring alliance.
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