The South Korean and U.S. Air Forces will hold a joint military exercise led by South Korea.
The South Korean Air Force announced on the 9th that the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces will conduct a joint large-scale air exercise named "Freedom Banner" at Gwangju Air Base from the 10th to the 24th of this month.
The "Freedom Banner" exercise is held twice a year by the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces, once in the first half and once in the second half of the year. The South Korean Air Force stated that this exercise is led by South Korea and aims to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational command, focusing on testing joint operational capabilities.
The South Korean Air Force will deploy various aircraft including F-5E/F, F-15K, KF-16, F-16, FA-50, F-35A, KA-1, as well as aerial refueling aircraft KC-330, transport aircraft C-130, CN-235; and early warning command aircraft E-737 for this military exercise. The U.S. Air Force will send F-16 fighters, E-3G early warning aircraft, RQ-4 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, as well as U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 fighters and MQ-9 unmanned attack aircraft to participate.
During the exercise, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces will perform tasks including air defense and air superiority, airborne standby interception, air denial, and close air support to enhance mutual cooperative combat capabilities and test wartime joint mission execution capabilities. Relevant personnel from the South Korean Air Force stated that during this exercise, there will also be a detailed verification of one of the assessment projects for the transfer of wartime operational command—“the South Korean Air Force's detection and interception capabilities.”
(Reporter Zhang Yun from the Central Broadcasting Station)
The South Korean Air Force announced that a joint military exercise named 'Freedom Banner' will be conducted with the U.S. Air Force at Gwangju Air Base from October 10 to 24, 2023. This exercise, led by South Korea, aims to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational command and will involve multiple aircraft types from both nations. Key tasks include air defense, interception, and close air support to strengthen collaborative operational capabilities.
- The joint exercise 'Freedom Banner' will take place from October 10 to 24, 2023.
- South Korea is leading the exercise with a focus on wartime operational command transfer.
- Various aircraft types from both South Korea and the U.S. will participate in the exercise.
- The exercise aims to enhance joint operational capabilities and validate command transfer assessments.