▲ This file photo, provided by the Air Force on May 16, 2023, shows a F-35A fighter jet taking off from an air base in Cheongju, 112 kilometers south of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-air drills

S. Korea, U.S. stage joint air drills with F-35A, F-16 jets

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States staged joint regular air drills involving advanced fighter jets this week to improve combined operational capabilities, Seoul's Air Force said Friday.

The five-day Buddy Squadron exercise began Monday at the 17th Fighter Wing in Cheongju, 112 kilometers south of Seoul, involving some 10 aircraft, including South Korean F-35A stealth fighters and U.S. F-16s, according to the armed service.

It marked the first time for South Korean F-35As to be mobilized for the drills.

During the exercise period, the two sides staged live-fire drills with GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions over the Yellow Sea to enhance combined capabilities in precision strikes, the Air Force said.

"Through the participation of our F-35As, (the drills) served as an opportunity to strengthen integrated tactics and the interoperability of fourth and fifth generation fighters with the U.S. side, and further solidify the combat readiness posture," a South Korean F-35A pilot was quoted as saying.

F-35As are fifth-generation fighters that possess advanced radar-evading capabilities as well as better target-detection and precision-strike capabilities than fourth-generation ones, such as the F-16, according to the armed service.

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