Latest news with #SouthKoreanAirForce
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
South Korean military plane apparently entered Japan ADIZ without notice
The South Korean Air Force said Friday that a transport aircraft bound for Guam urgently landed at the U.S. Air Force's Kadena base in Okinawa Prefecture on July 13 as it ran out of fuel. The South Korean military transport aircraft is believed to have entered Japan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without prior notice, causing the Air Self-Defense Force aircraft to scramble. South Korea's Defense Ministry has launched an audit of its air force on the matter. On July 13, the South Korean aircraft was heading to Guam for multinational joint air training. It took a detour due to abnormal weather, however, consumed more fuel than expected, declared an emergency and landed and refueled at the Kadena base, before joining the training. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference Friday that it was "regrettable" that the developments led to the SDF's scrambling. "We have urged the South Korean government to take measures to prevent a recurrence of such cases," Hayashi added. A South Korean military official acknowledged flaws in procedures for obtaining clearance to pass through Japan's ADIZ. The official emphasized that the air force will firmly observe procedures and make cross-checks obligatory to prevent similar incidents.
Korea Herald
12-07-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Salute from skies: Black Eagles honor K-Defense Day
The South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team performed a commemorative flight over the skies of Seoul on Saturday, marking the inaugural K-Defense Day. Designated as an official commemorative day on July 8, 2023, K-Defense Day is being formally observed for the first time this year. The occasion celebrates the development of South Korea's defense industry and honors the contributions of those working in the sector. K-Defense Day falls on July 8 each year, commemorating a historic moment in 1592, when Korea's iconic turtle ship was first deployed in battle during the Battle of Sacheon amid the Imjin War (1592–1598), according to the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration. "It will serve as a reminder of the historic moment when we defended the nation with weapons of our own making — and as an opportunity to highlight the importance of the defense industry and to recognize the dedication and sacrifices of those who serve in it," DAPA said.
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.
18-06-2025
- Politics
Japan, U.S., S. Korea Conduct Joint Aerial Drill
News from Japan World Jun 18, 2025 18:53 (JST) Seoul, June 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan, the United States and South Korea conducted a joint aerial exercise in the airspace south of South Korea's Jeju island Wednesday morning, according to the South Korean Air Force. It was the first three-way joint training since the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated on June 4. According to the South Korean Air Force, the drill was conducted with the aim of strengthening trilateral security cooperation to deter North Korea's increasingly sophisticated nuclear and missile threats. F-2 fighters of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force, F-16 fighters of the U.S. Air Force and F-15K fighters of the South Korean Air Force took part in the drill. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that, while previous joint drills included U.S. aircraft carriers and strategic bombers, the latest one comprised only fighter jets. Lee, who is seeking to deescalate tensions with his northern neighbor, may have opted to avoid using weaponry viewed as threats by the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
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.
