2 weeks Ago By Korea Bizwire
The South Korean Air Force’s F-15K is spotted at an air base in Gwangju, about 265 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 17, 2025, in this photo provided by the Air Force. (Yonhap) SEOUL, April 17 (Korea Bizwire ) — South Korea and the United States kicked off a joint large-scale air exercise Thursday, the South’s Air Force said, in efforts to bolster their interoperability and combined readiness posture against North Korean threats. Some 1,100 troops and 90 aircraft from both sides were mobilized for the semiannual Freedom Flag exercise, which runs through May 2, according to the Air Force.
Among the assets mobilized for the two-week drills were the South’s F-35A, F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets, as well as the U.S. F-16 and F-35 B fighters and MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones.
Over the next two weeks, troops will take part in key air operations training programs, such as air interdiction, defensive counter air, combat search and rescue, and close air support exercises. For the first time, stealth fighter jets, such as the F-35, will take on the role of “red air” oppositional forces to help enhance pilots’ practical combat capabilities, the Air Force said. Drills involving unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones, will expand to help enhance proficiency in the integrated operation of manned and unmanned air assets, it added.
“The ROK and U.S. forces plan to advance their combined airpower capabilities by conducting missions that reflect the ever-changing operational environment of modern warfare, including international developments in airpower and increasingly integrated missions with manned and unmanned aircraft,” the U.
S. Seventh Air Force said in a release. ROK refers to the acronym of South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
Freedom Flag was launched last year to replace regular large-scale air exercises between the allies — Korea Flying Training in the first half of the year and Vigilant Defense in the second half. (Yonhap).
