A B-1B Lancer strategic bomber, F-35A and F-35B stealth jets of the U.S., and F-16K and F-15K fighters of South Korea fly in formation over the Korean Peninsula in an annual joint Korea-U.S. air force drill. Courtesy of Air Force
South Korea and the United States will kick off large-scale air drills involving U.S. F-35B stealth jets later this month, Seoul officials said Tuesday, as they seek to sharpen their deterrence against potential North Korean provocations.
The drills are set to take place over South Korean airspace from Oct. 31-Nov. 4, with the South Korean Air Force set to mobilize some 140 warplanes, including F-35A, F-15 and KF-16 fighters.
The U.S. military plans to deploy around 100 aircraft, including F-35B stealth fighters from an American base in Japan, according to officials.
The drills were planned amid worries that Pyongyang could set off provocations, like a nuclear test, between the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party's major congress late this month and the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 8.
"The planned training is aimed at verifying the systems of wartime combined air operations between the South Korean and U.S. air forces, and enhancing their combat readiness posture," an official said on condition of anonymity.
The planned deployment of the F-35B jets comes as Presidents Yoon Suk-yeol and Joe Biden agreed on the deployment of U.S. strategic assets in a "timely and coordinated manner as necessary" during their summit in Seoul in May.
The allied drills appear akin to the Vigilant Ace exercise that was suspended in 2018 amid the then Moon Jae-in administration's drive for inter-Korean reconciliation, observers said.
Australia is also scheduled to join the training with the deployment of a refueling tanker, the officials said, in what appears to be a move to highlight the three countries' unity for regional peace. (Yonhap)
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