An operation takes place as part of the South Korean Air Force’s Soaring Eagle exercise from the Cheongju Air Base in the center of the country, in this photo provided on November 27, 2024 by the Air Force. (Resale and archiving prohibited)
SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s air forces kicked off Soaring Eagle on Friday, their largest individually organized annual exercise, which will run until next Friday from Cheongju Air Base in the central country.
It will involve more than 210 Air Force personnel, as well as F-35A stealth fighter jets, E-737 detection and command aircraft and KC-330 transport and refueling aircraft.
According to the explanations provided in the Air Force press release, this air engagement exercise aims to evaluate and improve both the capacity and the speed of intervention in the face of various types of threats in the air and on the ground. The emphasis is placed on coordination between different air military assets during interventions.
The training will thus simulate missions of long-range detection and interception of threats, neutralization of enemy strike forces through attacks at the source, and preventive counterattack of enemy offensives.
The army invited 10 members of foreign armies, including from Saudi Arabia, Poland, Turkiye and the United Kingdom, as observers.
This exercise was first held in 2008 and is the largest in size to be organized solely by the South Korean Air Force.
fabien@yna.co.kr
(FIN)
