The South Korean military kicked off a large-scale airlift exercise on Thursday to boost air transportation capacity for enhanced wartime capabilities, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The two-day exercise took place in the city of Yangju, north of Seoul, involving some 1,300 service personnel from 15 units of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps. It also mobilized around 900 units of equipment and vehicles including

C-130 transport aircraft and CH-47 helicopters, according to the JCS.

It is the first time that the different branches of the military have held the joint airlift drill, the JCS said. Before, each branch had conducted airlift drills separately.

"The drill carries significance as the entire military integrated resources for the expanded exercise that involves the whole process of airlift operations, from packing and loading to airdropping supplies," the JCS said in a press release.

The programs include the establishment of forward-located distribution hubs, known as air terminal supply points (ATSPs), it noted.

"The airlift capacity will lay the foundation for supporting combat troops in a consistent fashion. Swift and effective air transportation will also help provide relief supplies to disaster-hit areas," according to the JCS. (Yonhap)