US F-35 Over 10 Aircraft Participate in UFS "Conducting ROK-US Joint Air Training"

[Financial News] It has been confirmed that over 10 US stealth fighters F-35 are deployed on the Korean Peninsula to participate in the ROK-US joint air training conducted during the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise period.
According to military authorities on the 25th, the US Air Force's F-35A and the US Marine Corps' F-35B are training at the Gunsan USFK Air Base in Jeonbuk.
The F-35A has been operating at Kadena Air Base in Japan since April and arrived in Korea last week to participate in air training conducted during the UFS period. The vertical take-off and landing F-35B, which is mainly loaded on aircraft carriers, is also stationed at the Iwakuni Marine Air Base in Japan and has been deployed to the Korean Peninsula to carry out missions to enhance interoperability with the ROK-US joint training.
The Kadena and Iwakuni bases in Japan are 1070 km and 550 km away from the Gunsan base, respectively. This UFS training is also seen as conducting training to reinforce and deploy the F-35 forces of the US Forces Japan to the Korean Peninsula in case of emergency.
The 5th generation fighter combines stealth, advanced sensors, and real-time data sharing to perform reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and command and control missions in addition to existing air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions. Our Air Force also started introducing the F-35A, which can strike North Korean nuclear and missile bases, in 2019 and is currently operating 39 units, with plans to introduce an additional 20 units by 2028, operating a total of 59 units.
Previously, Xavier Brunson, commander of the USFK, stated in a meeting with the Ministry of Defense press corps on the 8th that "USFK needs change, and what matters is capability, not numbers," and mentioned considering the deployment of 5th generation (stealth) fighters on the Korean Peninsula. He also evaluated that one 5th generation fighter is equivalent to two 4th generation fighters.
Accordingly, it is observed that the F-35 fighters may be regularly rotated or permanently stationed at the USFK Air Base. The deployment of the F-35 on the Korean Peninsula during this UFS period is also evaluated as a step to check such a plan.
A military source said, "It is an undecided matter," but added, "USFK is continuously evaluating its posture to align with a capability-centered approach. The rotational deployment of 5th generation fighters is part of this evaluation."


wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yun Reporter