S. Korea, US Launch Large-Scale Air Drills

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, April 17 (KUNA) -- South Korea and the US 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, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Some 1,100 troops and 90 aircraft from both sides were mobilized for the semiannual Freedom Flag exercise, which runs through May 2, the Air Force said. 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 US 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.
"The ROK and US 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 US 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. (end)
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