The U.S. Air Force is testing some of major capabilities and concepts—F-35s, Air Task Forces, and Agile Combat Employment—in South Korea this month for the latest iteration of Freedom Shield exercise.
The joint exercise, which started March 10 and lasts until March 21, also includes U.S. Navy and Republic of Korea Air Force assets, including their own F-35s.
The U.S. Air Force deployed its F-35s from Kadena Air Base, Japan, to Cheongju Air Base in South Korea, ahead of the 11-day exercise. The fighters belong to the Vermont Air National Guard and have been stationed at Kadena since January as part of the Air Force’s ongoing fighter rotation there.
Early in the exercise, USAF and ROKAF F-35s practiced dynamic targeting and aerial refueling. The same day, Navy F-35Cs joined the mix, flying alongside the F-35As over the USS Carl Vinson, which docked in Korea early this month.
“Rehearsing combat operations with ROKAF, USAF, and United States Navy fifth-generation aircraft demonstrates the unmatched, high level of readiness and capability of our forces,” Lt. Gen. David Iverson, Seventh Air Force commander, said in a release.
North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on the first day of the exercise, just hours after it began, calling the annual training “nuclear war rehearsals” through its state-run media.
“The DPRK presents a formidable threat—one that the Republic of Korea is well accustomed to countering,” Lt. Col. Brian Wagner, 134th EFS director of operations, said in a release. “However, when you factor in the broader geopolitical landscape, including shifting relationships and strategic competition with regional powers, it becomes even more critical for us to adapt as a combined force.”
In a release before the exercise, U.S. Forces Korea spokesperson Army Col. Ryan Donald said the event would “reflect” realistic threats, “including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s military strategy, tactics, and capabilities.”
USAF said it is also testing its Agile Combat Employment concept across multiple areas for the exercise. ACE entails small teams of Airmen dispersing from large central bases to operate from remote or austere locations, complicating an adversary’s targeting. Elements of the exercise included quickly repositioning F-35s from Japan to Korea and integrating fourth- and fifth-gen fighters including its F-16s and A-10s, with the South Korean air force.
“Executing ACE in this region presents unique challenges,” said 1st Lt. Benjamin Meyer, an F-35 pilot assigned to the 134th EFS. “A key part of FS is identifying what we can accomplish together, where we may fall short, and refining our execution plan so we’re ready if the time comes.”
Osan Air Base in Korea, home of the 7th Air Force, now hosts 31 F-16s after nine were relocated from Kunsan Air Base last summer. The move is part of a yearlong test to look at a stronger fighter presence at the 36th Fighter Squadron, closer to the North Korean border. This “Super Squadron” experiment has been a part of Freedom Shield by “engaging in combat training missions focused on air interdiction, close air support, static and dynamic targeting, and combat air patrols,” the 7th Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
“Several 36th Fighter Squadron aircraft also participated in an Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, movement to an alternate base to rehearse the unit’s ability to quickly maneuver forces around the region while maintaining combat flying operations,” the spokesperson added.
The 11th Air Task Force from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., also deployed to Korea to provide a command-and-control hub, ensuring force sustainment across contested areas.
This is the first deployment for the Air Task Force, which only stood up in October. The Air Force is reinventing how it organizes troops for deployments and created six ATFs to establish a system where Airmen deploy as units, having already trained and worked together. Exercises like Freedom Shield will help them refine their skills.
A 7th Air Force spokesperson declined to provide the number of each aircraft involved in the exercise, citing operational security, but added that the unit is conducting a “full-scale rehearsal of our capabilities at the tactical and operational levels.”
Aircraft in Freedom Shield 25
U.S. Air Force: F-35, F-16, A-10, MQ-9, MC-130J, CV-22
U.S. Navy: F-35C
Republic of Korea Air Force: F-35A, F-15K, (K)F-16, FA-50, KC-330, C-130, CASA CN-235, HH-60, CH-47, HH-32