Korea, US stage joint air drills with F-35A, F-16 jets

This photo, provided by the Air Force, shows a F-35A fighter jet taking off from an air base in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, May 16. Yonhap

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 Korean F-35A stealth fighters and U.S. F-16s, according to the armed service.

It marked the first time for 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 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. (Yonhap)