[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Japan Deploys Presidential Aircraft for the First Time

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The presidential aircraft, Air Force One No. 3, will be deployed to transport Koreans aboard a Japanese cruise ship. This is the first time Air Force One No. 3 has been sent overseas.

The government is sending Air Force One No. 3 to Japan because the number of Koreans aboard the Japanese cruise ship, where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing, is not large. It was judged that sending a regular aircraft or the Air Force transport plane C-130 would be excessive given the small number of passengers. There are 14 Koreans aboard the 'Diamond Princess,' docked at Yokohama Port, Japan, including 9 passengers and 5 crew members.

The Air Force One No. 3 to be deployed this time is one of the four presidential aircraft. Air Force One No. 1 is the so-called 'Code One' aircraft used for the president's overseas trips. It is a leased Boeing 747-400 (2001 model) passenger plane from Korean Air. 'Code One' is the call sign used by the airport control tower to refer to the plane carrying the president. Air Force One No. 2 is a backup aircraft prepared for emergencies such as patient emergencies or malfunctions of No. 1. Air Force One No. 2 is a Boeing 737-3Z8 model introduced in 1985. It was used in March 2018 when National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong and the special envoy to North Korea visited Pyongyang.

The models of Air Force One No. 3 and No. 5 are VCN-235. There is no Air Force One No. 4. Air Force One No. 3 and No. 5 are presidential aircraft modified from CN-235 transport planes introduced from Indonesia in 1990. The 'V' (VIP) prefix before CN-235 indicates that the president uses them. However, since 2008, they have been opened for use by the prime minister and ministers as well. Currently, it is known that key aides accompanying the president also use these transport planes. In May 2018, South Korean journalists used them to cover the dismantling ceremony of the North Korean Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

The VCN-235, the model of Air Force One No. 3 and No. 5, is a light transport aircraft jointly developed by Spain's CASA and Indonesia's IPTN. It has large propellers on both wings and can carry up to 22 passengers. South Korea has introduced about 20 units, with two currently used as government transport planes. Its maximum cruising range reaches 3,500 km, allowing it to operate throughout the Northeast Asia region. It measures 21.4 m in length, 25.8 m in wingspan, and 8.2 m in height, with a maximum speed of 509 km/h. It is equipped with two GE CT7-9C engines and can fly at altitudes up to 7.6 km.

This is the first time Air Force One No. 3 is visiting overseas. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' decision on the 17th to deploy Air Force One No. 3 indicates that the Japanese government has approved the entry of our military aircraft into its airspace. For our military aircraft to go to Japan, prior consultations with the Japanese government are required regarding airspace passage, selection of landing airports, immigration inspection of pilots and crew, refueling and ground support at local airports, and payment of airport usage fees.

Previously, our Air Force transport plane C-130 has been deployed overseas with foreign permission. The C-130 was deployed during the 2004 South Asia earthquake and tsunami disaster, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and in November 2013 to transport relief supplies to the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan. In April 2016, during the Kumamoto earthquake in Japan, it flew to Kumamoto Airport to deliver relief supplies worth about $100,000, including tents and bottled water. In October 2018, it evacuated Koreans stranded in Saipan due to Typhoon Wutip.