[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense video] Takeoff Moment of Dedicated Transport Aircraft for 'Japanese Cruise Ship' Mission

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The government deployed the presidential aircraft (Air Force One, Air Force No. 3) on the afternoon of the 18th to transport Koreans aboard the Japanese cruise ship, where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing. Air Force No. 3 took off from Seoul Airport at 12:02 PM and arrived at Haneda Airport at 2:50 PM.

Four Koreans and one Japanese spouse aboard the cruise ship "Diamond Princess," docked at Yokohama Port, Japan, are scheduled to return home on Air Force No. 3. The aircraft reportedly carried doctors, nurses, quarantine officers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs support staff, and Air Force maintenance personnel. Air Force No. 3 arrived at Haneda Airport around 4 PM and waited at the airport. The cruise ship had 3,700 passengers and crew on board, including 14 Koreans?9 passengers and 5 crew members. None of the Korean passengers have tested positive yet.

Those wishing to return will undergo initial quarantine on the cruise ship. If the COVID-19 test result is positive, they will remain on site. Those showing suspicious symptoms are not allowed to board Air Force No. 3. The aircraft carrying the returnees is scheduled to depart Japan around 4 AM the next day and arrive at Gimpo Airport around 8 AM the same day.

When the president travels domestically aboard Air Force No. 2, Air Force No. 3 or No. 5 also move together as a precautionary measure.

Air Force No. 3 is one of the four presidential aircraft. Air Force No. 1, known as "Code One," is 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 airport control towers for the plane carrying the president. Air Force No. 2 is a backup aircraft for emergencies such as patient transport or Air Force No. 1 malfunction. It is a Boeing 737-3Z8 introduced in 1985. It was used in March 2018 when National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong and the special envoy to North Korea traveled to Pyongyang.

The models of Air Force No. 3 and No. 5 are VCN-235. There is no Air Force No. 4 because the number "4" is considered unlucky. Air Force No. 3 and No. 5 are modified CN-235 transport aircraft introduced from Indonesia in 1990 and classified as presidential aircraft. The "V" in VCN-235 stands for "VIP," indicating presidential use. However, since 2008, they have been opened for use by the prime minister and ministers as well. Currently, key presidential aides also use these transport planes. In May 2018, South Korean journalists used them to cover the North Korean Punggye-ri nuclear test site dismantlement event.

The VCN-235 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 aircraft. Its maximum cruising range is 3,500 km, allowing operation throughout Northeast Asia. 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 up to an altitude of 7.6 km.

This is the first time Air Force No. 3 has visited overseas. The government's decision to deploy Air Force No. 3 was possible because the Japanese government permitted 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 airport, immigration inspection of pilots and crew, refueling and ground support at the local airport, and payment of airport usage fees.

However, our Air Force transport aircraft C-130 has been deployed overseas. The C-130 transported relief supplies to countries affected by the South Asia earthquake and tsunami in 2004, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November 2013. In April 2016, during the Kumamoto earthquake in Japan, it flew to Kumamoto Airport delivering about $100,000 worth of relief supplies such as tents and bottled water. In October 2018, it evacuated Koreans stranded in Saipan due to Typhoon Wutip.