[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] First Overseas Joint Training Deployment of Aerial Refueling Aircraft

The refueling boom section of the KC-330, revealed at the KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft commissioning event held at Gimhae Air Base on the 30th / Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The Air Force has decided to significantly increase overseas expeditionary joint exercises starting this year and will deploy the aerial refueling aircraft 'KC-330' for the first time in joint exercises.

According to the military on the 23rd, the multinational joint air force exercise Red Flag-Alaska will be held this October. The Red Flag Alaska exercise, held four times annually, is a multinational joint and combined tactical air combat training hosted by the United States Pacific Air Forces Command.

Since 2001, the Republic of Korea Air Force has participated in the Red Flag exercise only in the transport aircraft sector, but since 2013, it has also dispatched fighter jets. Until now, the ROK military did not possess aerial refueling aircraft and had to rely on the U.S. military's support. The F-15K fighters participating in the exercise flew a distance of 8,100 km until returning, receiving aerial refueling 10 times mid-flight from the U.S. Air Force's KC-135 tanker.

However, starting this October, the ROK Air Force plans to deploy the European Airbus aerial refueling aircraft KC-330, which it has introduced. Since the first KC-330 was introduced in January last year, up to the fourth unit has been fully operational. From the second half of this year, it is also expected to be deployed in some domestic operations. A military official stated, "We are promoting the participation of aerial refueling aircraft in overseas expeditionary training, and the final approval will be decided soon."

The Air Force plans to participate in this year's Red Flag exercise with the KC-330 and F-15K fighters. In February last year, the flight of KF-16 fighters was temporarily suspended due to a KF-16D fighter crash accident, causing difficulties in preparing for exercise participation. Although the option of sending F-15K fighters instead was considered, it was judged to be difficult, so only two transport aircraft were dispatched.

As the scale of the Korea-U.S. joint domestic exercises has been reduced, the Air Force has decided to significantly increase overseas expeditionary training. Since last year, marking 10 years since its implementation, the Korea-U.S. large-scale air theater exercise 'Max Thunder' has been renamed and downsized. Max Thunder, held around May every year with about 100 Korea-U.S. Air Force assets participating, appears to be conducted as 'Rokie' considering the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Instead, the Air Force plans to greatly increase overseas expeditionary training. Starting next year, it will participate in the Christmas Airborne Operation (a joint exercise in humanitarian aid and disaster relief) held biennially on the U.S. mainland and Desert Flag, a multinational large-scale joint air combat exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Additionally, from 2022, it plans to participate in Hercules Guardian (enhancing C-130 tactical capabilities between Korea and the U.S.) held on the U.S. mainland and Australia's Pitch Black (a multinational large-scale joint air combat exercise) hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force. Especially in the Pitch Black exercise held in Australia, all types of aircraft owned by the Air Force, including KF-16, F-15K fighters, KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft, E737 'Peace Eye' early warning control aircraft, and C-130 transport aircraft, will participate on a large scale.