A detachment of US Air Force F-16s from the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB, South Korea, will integrate with F-16s from the Republic of Korea Air Force at Jungwon AB, South Korea, to conduct training in missions such as surface attack, suppression of air defenses, strike coordination, and reconnaissance this week, according to Osan officials. Airmen from Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing and the ROKAF’s 19th FW will team up for a “Buddy Wing” exercise and exchange program Jan. 26-30 at Jungwon, in an effort to build interoperability between the two air forces’ aircrews, maintainers, and support personnel. The exercise also will help officials formulate better tactics for joint operations. In addition to training scenarios, pilots will conduct joint discussions of tactics and mission briefings and debriefings during the exercise’s duration. USAF and the ROKAF have expanded bilateral and multilateral training events in recent years as the South Koreans modernize their armed forces and work to enhance air and missile defenses against North Korean threats.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III chaired a China-focused military briefing Oct. 27, part of a biweekly series of briefings with senior military commanders about China’s growing threat in the wake of an orbital hypersonic weapon test that elicited public worries from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “What we…