A South Korean warship carrying some 500 personnel departed Wednesday for Australia to participate in a biennial multinational maritime exercise set to begin next month, the Navy said.

The 14,500-ton ROKS Marado amphibious landing ship left a military port in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to join the Talisman Sabre exercise slated to take place in a northeastern region of Australia from July 22-Aug. 4.

Jointly hosted by the United States and Australia, this year's edition of the exercise will involve some 30,000 troops, about 20 military vessels and 60 aircraft from 15 countries, including Britain, India, Indonesia and Japan, according to the Navy.

South Korea plans to deploy ROKS Marado, the 4,400-ton ROKS Munmu the Great destroyer, Marineon helicopters, K9 self-propelled howitzers, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers and Korean Assault Amphibious Vehicles, as well as some 720 personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps.

The Munmu the Great destroyer and its personnel are set to join the exercise after their participation in the Pacific Vanguard exercise, a U.S.-led multilateral program scheduled to take place in waters off Guam from July 1-12.

Participants in the exercise will engage in various drills, including those on air defense, anti-submarine and anti-ship operations, as well as live-fire drills.

The Talisman Sabre exercise was launched in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the participants' combined operational capabilities and strengthening military engagement among them.

The South Korean Navy first attended the exercise as an observer in 2019 and participated in it as a full member two years later. (Yonhap)