US-ROK Air Forces Conduct FS-Linked Field Training Exercise... First Mutual Deployment of Air Combat Forces

Realistic FTX Plan
First Mutual Deployment Between ROK and US Air Force Units
Combined Space Operations Command and Control Exercise Also Planned

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States Air Forces announced on the 6th that they will conduct a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in conjunction with the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) exercise starting on the 10th. The goal is to demonstrate the robust combined defense posture of the ROK-US air forces.

Photo by Yonhap News

During this exercise, the two air forces will form the Combined Air Component Command (CACC) to conduct various combined and joint field training exercises aimed at enhancing wartime operational execution and sustained support capabilities. The ROK-US air forces will carry out combined air operations including 24-hour live flight training for all-domain mission execution, 4th and 5th generation integrated Air Interdiction (AI) training, and large-scale airborne X-interdiction (X-INT) exercises, thereby advancing their wartime operational capabilities.

Additionally, the ROK Air Force’s Space Operations Squadron and the United States Space Command Korea will operate a space integration team to conduct the second phase of the ‘Polaris Hammer-KOREA’ exercise, which identifies and responds to threats in space. The first phase of this exercise was conducted in January.

Notably, for the first time in a combined exercise, the ROK and US air forces will mutually deploy air combat forces between their units. The deployed aircraft will carry out missions together according to the operational plans of their respective units, significantly enhancing interoperability. Colonel Choi Han-rak, Director of Operations and Training at the Air Operations Command, stated, “This combined exercise provides an opportunity to improve interoperability between the two air forces in realistic scenarios. By assigning situations and missions that have not been previously exercised, we will strengthen our combined operational capabilities to overwhelmingly respond to any threat.”