Latest news with #KF-16
Hans India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
North Korea bristles at South Korea-US-Japan air drills
Seoul: North Korea, on Sunday, blasted recent combined air drills conducted by South Korea, the US and Japan, saying such joint military actions are "the main danger factors heightening the level of the military tension" on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding region. "We express serious concern over their hostile acts of persistently conducting provocative and threatening military actions while deliberately ignoring the security concern of the North Korea and strongly warn of the grave consequences to be entailed by them on the regional situation," the head of the North Korean Defence Ministry's policy office said in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). On Friday, Seoul's Defence Ministry said the three nations had held the air drills over international waters off the southern South Korean island of Jeju and involved at least one US B-52H bomber -- the strategic bomber's first deployment near the Korean Peninsula this year, Yonhap news agency reported. The North Korean official also charged that the tripartite military alliance has "completely changed into a nuclear-based triangular military alliance". "Irresponsible acts of the US, Japan and the South Korea steadily heightening the level of tension and danger on the Korean peninsula should be closely watched and deterred," North Korea's statement added. "It is our just sovereign right to take countermeasures against provocative military actions such as the moves to strengthen the multilateral military alliance threatening the security of the region and the joint military drills with clear aggressive character." On July 11, South Korea, the US and Japan held combined air drills on Friday as part of efforts to strengthen their joint response against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, South Korea's Defence Ministry said. The exercise took place over international waters off the southern South Korean island of Jeju and involved at least one US B-52H bomber as well as South Korea's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighters, according to the Ministry. It marked the strategic bomber's first deployment near the Korean Peninsula this year. "Based on close coordination, the three countries will cooperate to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats while continuing with three-way training," it said in a statement. The exercise came as the top military officers of the three countries convened in Seoul for a regular meeting to discuss the security situation and ways to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation. It came less than a month after South Korea, the US and Japan conducted joint aerial drills on June 18, in what marked the first such exercise held under the Lee Jae Myung government.
Hans India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
South Korea, US, Japan stage joint air drills involving B-52 bomber
Seoul: South Korea, the United States and Japan held combined air drills Friday as part of efforts to strengthen their joint response against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the South's defence ministry said. The exercise took place over international waters off the southern South Korean island of Jeju and involved at least one US B-52H bomber as well as the South's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighters, according to the ministry. It marked the strategic bomber's first deployment near the Korean Peninsula this year. "Based on close coordination, the three countries will cooperate to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats while continuing with three-way training," it said in a release. The exercise came as the top military officers of the three countries convened in Seoul for a regular meeting to discuss the security situation and ways to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation. It came less than a month after South Korea, the US and Japan conducted joint aerial drills on June 18, in what marked the first such exercise held under the Lee Jae Myung government. Earlier on June 15, South Korea, the United States and Japan held combined air drills Wednesday in an effort to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation against North Korean threats, the South's Air Force said. It marked the first joint air exercise among the three countries since President Lee Jae Myung took office earlier this month, Yonhap news agency reported. The Air Force said it plans to continue to conduct such trilateral drills on the back of a firm South Korea-US alliance. Although the B-52s - considered a key US strategic asset - have previously been deployed over the Korean Peninsula for joint air drills with the South Korean Air Force, the first time the bomber landed at an air base in the country, on October 17, 2023.
Korea Herald
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US, Japan stage joint air drills involving B-52 bomber
South Korea, the United States and Japan held combined air drills Friday as part of efforts to strengthen their joint response against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the South's defense ministry said. The exercise took place over international waters off the southern South Korean island of Jeju and involved at least one US B-52H bomber as well as the South's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighters, according to the ministry. It marked the strategic bomber's first deployment near the Korean Peninsula this year. "Based on close coordination, the three countries will cooperate to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats while continuing with three-way training," it said in a release. The exercise came as the top military officers of the three countries convened in Seoul for a regular meeting to discuss the security situation and ways to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation. South Korea, the US and Japan conducted joint aerial drills on June 18, marking the first such exercise held under the Lee Jae Myung government. (Yonhap)
Hans India
12-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
South Korea: Pilot error suspected in KF-16 Alaska accident
Seoul: Pilot error appears to have been behind a KF-16 fighter jet accident that occurred during air drills in Alaska earlier this week as the pilots mistakenly tried to take off from the taxiway rather than the runway, the South Korean Air Force said Thursday. On Tuesday (US time), the two pilots ejected from the twin-seat fighter after an emergency situation occurred during takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base, when they attended the US-led multinational Red Flag air exercise. They did not suffer major injuries, but the jet was partially damaged due to a fire. Citing a preliminary probe result, the Air Force said three KF-16s wrongly entered the taxiway instead of the runway as they prepared to take off to participate in air combat drills. All four pilots of the three aircraft told investigators that they mistook the taxiway for the runway. "The US Air Force air traffic control tower instructed the second aircraft to cancel takeoff upon seeing the first aircraft taking off from the taxiway, but the distance was insufficient ... prompting an emergency ejection," an Air Force official said. The aircraft caught fire as it skidded to a stop in the grass near the end of the taxiway, according to the official. The two pilots of the second aircraft appear to have ejected from the aircraft due to the fire, the official said, noting that the exact sequence of the events is currently under investigation. The exact cause of the fire currently remains unclear, Yonhap news agency reported. As the accident did not occur due to a mechanical issue, the Air Force said it will resume training and operations of the KF-16. "The Air Force has decided to continue to participate in the Red Flag exercise. Operation of the (KF-16) aircraft will resume Friday," the official said, apologising over the accident and vowing to come up with "effective" measures to prevent a similar accident. The four pilots, however, will no longer take part in the exercise and cooperate with the investigation, according to the official. The Air Force earlier grounded all KF-16 fighter jets and dispatched a 20-member team to Alaska to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. South Korea mobilised 11 aircraft, including six KF-16 fighters and the KC-330 transport plane, and some 100 airmen, for this year's Red Flag air exercise that runs through June 27. Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, according to the US military. South Korea has deployed fighter jets to the exercise since 2013, Yonhap news agency reported. This week's accident took place about three months after two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a town just south of the inter-Korean border, injuring 66 people, including 40 civilians. The aircraft released live bombs outside of a designated training area as the pilots wrongly entered the target coordinates, according to the Air Force.
Korea Herald
12-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Pilot error suspected in KF-16 Alaska accident: Air Force
Pilot error appears to have been behind a KF-16 fighter jet accident that occurred during air drills in Alaska earlier this week, as the pilots mistakenly tried to take off from the taxiway rather than the runway, the Air Force said Thursday. On Tuesday, the two pilots ejected from the twin-seat fighter after an emergency situation occurred during takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, as they attended the US-led multinational Red Flag air exercise. They did not suffer major injuries, but the jet was partially damaged due to a fire. Citing a preliminary probe result, the Air Force said three KF-16s wrongly entered the taxiway instead of the runway as they prepared to take off to participate in air combat drills. All four pilots of the three aircraft told investigators that they mistook the taxiway for the runway. "The US Air Force air traffic control tower instructed the second aircraft to cancel takeoff upon seeing the first aircraft taking off from the taxiway, but the distance was insufficient ... prompting an emergency ejection," an Air Force official said. The aircraft caught fire as it skidded to a stop in the grass near the end of the taxiway, according to the official. The two pilots of the second aircraft appear to have ejected from the aircraft due to the fire, the official said, noting that the exact sequence of the events is currently under investigation. The exact cause of the fire currently remains unclear. As the accident did not occur due to a mechanical issue, the Air Force said it will resume training and operations of the KF-16. "The Air Force has decided to continue to participate in the Red Flag exercise. Operation of the (KF-16) aircraft will resume Friday," the official said, apologizing over the accident and vowing to come up with "effective" measures to prevent a similar accident. The four pilots, however, will no longer take part in the exercise and will cooperate with the investigation, according to the official. The Air Force earlier grounded all KF-16 fighter jets and dispatched a 20-member team to Alaska to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. South Korea mobilized 11 aircraft, including six KF-16 fighters and the KC-330 transport plane, and some 100 airmen for this year's Red Flag air exercise that runs through June 27. Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, according to the US military. South Korea has deployed fighter jets to the exercise since 2013. This week's accident took place about three months after two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a town just south of the inter-Korean border, injuring 66 people, including 40 civilians. The aircraft released live bombs outside of a designated training area as the pilots wrongly entered the target coordinates, according to the Air Force.
