김은정
| 2026-03-08 10:45:11
US aircraft-military base
U.S. transport aircraft spotted departing Osan Air Base amid Patriot relocation speculation
SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- U.S. military transport aircraft have been spotted arriving at and departing from a U.S. air base in South Korea over the past week, raising speculation that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) may be deploying some of its assets to the Middle East amid the escalating conflict involving Iran.
According to the real-time flight tracking website Flightradar24, C-5 and C-17 U.S. transport aircraft have landed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, since late last month and departed between Wednesday and Saturday.
At least two C-5 aircraft arrived at the air base in late February and were spotted departing last Saturday and Monday, while C-17 aircraft departed between Tuesday and Saturday, with six confirmed to be heading to Anchorage, Alaska.
The C-17 aircraft regularly stopped at the key U.S. base to transport U.S. assets and personnel, but the arrival of the C-5 appears to be rare.
The latest move has fueled speculation that the USFK may be preparing to move Patriot missile defense systems, as it is known to have recently relocated some Patriot batteries to Osan Air Base from other U.S. bases.
Two Patriot batteries were previously deployed to the Middle East in June last year when Washington carried out major operations targeting Tehran's nuclear facilities, before they were returned to South Korea in October.
It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft carried missile systems or their exact destinations, though the timing has raised speculation that they may have been bound either for the U.S. or the Middle East.
The USFK said it does not comment on the relocation or movement of its assets due to operational security, while Seoul's defense ministry said it is not appropriate to comment on USFK troop operations.
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