US Air Force B-1B bomber and ROK's fighter jets F-15K fly over the Korean Peninsula during the joint aerial drills between ROK and the United States, ROK, June 5, 2024. (Photo: VCG)
The Air Forces of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the US will conduct the "Freedom Flag" exercise at Gwangju Air Base from April 10-24, the ROK's Air Force said on Thursday.
The "Freedom Flag" exercise is a large-scale joint air exercise held twice a year by the ROK and US Air Forces. This year's exercise will be led by the ROK, which aims to take over wartime command from Washington by 2030, and will focus on testing capabilities for combined operations, the ROK's Air Force said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ROK will deploy a range of fighter jets, including the F-15K, KF-16, and F-35A, KA-1 light attack aircraft, transport planes such as the KC-330, and the E-737 Peace Eye. The US Air Force's F-16 and RQ-4 Global Hawk, as well as the US Marines' F/A-18 and MQ-9 Reaper, will join the drills.