Tentative Postponement of Soring Eagle Training in the Second Half of the Year

From January 29 to February 5 this year, during the Soaring Eagle training exercise, an attack formation composed of the Air Force's main fighter jets, including F-15K, KF-16, and F-4E, was flying to attack virtual key targets such as enemy missile bases. (Photo by the Air Force)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The comprehensive air training exercise, '2022 Second Half Soring Eagle,' has been temporarily postponed.

On the 21st, the Air Force explained, "Due to the suspension of flights following the KF-16 fighter jet crash that occurred yesterday, the exercise has been temporarily postponed. Detailed training schedules will be established and conducted later."

Soring Eagle is a large-scale, theater-level comprehensive air training exercise conducted solely by the Republic of Korea Air Force to prevent a massive surprise infiltration by enemy air forces. The first half of this year's training was held in June. At that time, about 70 air assets including the latest stealth fighter F-35A, F-15K, F-16, KF-16, FA-50, F-4E, F-5 fighters, KA-1 tactical control aircraft, E-737 airborne control aircraft, CN-235 transport aircraft, and approximately 200 mission personnel participated.

The exercise included defensive counter-air operations to detect, identify, and intercept enemy aerospace forces from long distances; large-scale strike formation training to punish and strike the enemy’s core forces and provocation points; and emergency air interdiction operations to eliminate threats such as enemy missiles and supply routes in rapidly changing battlefield situations in real time.

Since its inception in 2008, the training was not disclosed from 2018 when inter-Korean relations were in a thaw mode, but it was made public again starting from the first half of this year as North Korea’s provocations increased. The second half training was scheduled to take place from the 21st to the 25th.

Earlier, at around 8:05 PM the previous day, a KF-16C from the Air Force’s 19th Fighter Wing crashed in a mountainous area of Yangdong-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, and the pilot safely ejected. The Air Force temporarily suspended flights of all aircraft types except reconnaissance assets and emergency standby forces, and decided to suspend KF-16 flights until the cause of the accident is determined. On the 21st, the Air Force is operating a 'Pinset Day' not only for aircraft but also for overall safety inspections, checking all safety-related matters.