South Korea, U.S. stage joint air drills with stealth fighters

Advanced South Korean and U.S. stealth fighters staged joint air combat drills Thursday, the South's Air Force said, in an apparent show of air power against evolving North Korean military threats.

South Korean F-35A and U.S. F-22 fighters take part in a joint combat drill in an apparent show of force against North Korean military threats in a photo provide by the U.S. Air Force Thursday. The exercise took place over a central region in South Korea, conducting attack and defense missions. It marked the first exercise of its kind between the two sides’ advanced aircraft. [YONHAP]

Advanced South Korean and U.S. stealth fighters staged joint air combat drills Thursday, the South's Air Force said, in an apparent show of air power against evolving North Korean military threats.

The exercise, involving two South Korean F-35As and two U.S. F-22 Raptors, took place over a central region in South Korea, after the U.S. aircraft arrived in the country earlier this week.

During the drills, the two sides' fighters took turns conducting attack and defense missions, facing off against each other in close proximity, the Air Force said, noting that it marked the first exercise of its kind between the two sides' advanced aircraft.

South Korean F-35As and U.S. F-22s previously staged a joint flight with a U.S. B-52H bomber in December 2022.

The exercise come as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a new tactical missile weapons system Tuesday in a display of Pyongyang's diversifying firepower.

Earlier this week, the U.S. military released photos showing that at least four F-22s landed in South Korea on Tuesday, marking the fighter's first known arrival in the country since last October when it took part in a defense exhibition.

F-35s and F-22s are categorized as the latest fifth-generation fighters, and considered one of the most feared jets in the world due to their stealth capabilities and advanced aviation electronics.

South Korea has a fleet of 39 F-35A fighters, while the F-22 is operated only by the U.S. military, which its Air Force describes as being unmatched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.

Meanwhile, South Korea plans to kick off a large-scale air exercise Friday to train response capabilities against enemy cruise missiles and aircraft incursions, as well as striking targets, such as transporter erector launchers.

The eight-day Soaring Eagle exercise will begin at an air base in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, mobilizing some 60 aircraft, including F-35As, F-15Ks and F-16s, as well as more than 500 personnel.

The Air Force's Space Operations Squadron will join the exercise for the first time to support fighter jets by providing accurate global positional system (GPS) data. Soaring Eagle first launched as a biannual exercise in 2008.

Separately, a group of 131 Army personnel returned home Thursday after taking part in a monthlong training event at the U.S. National Training Center in the Mojave Desert in California.

During the joint exercise, South Korean troops trained with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division to boost combat capabilities in diverse operational environments.

South Korean personnel first visited the U.S. training center for drills in 2014, and the latest session marked the eighth one of its kind.

Yonhap