US-Korea 5th Generation Fighters F-35A and C Flew Together... Integrated Training

ROK-US Air Force F-35As and US Navy F-35Cs Conduct Joint Training
Integrated Operations Demonstrate Enhanced Combined Defense Capabilities
USS Carl Vinson's Carrier Air Wing Participates in Realistic Exercise
Combined Forces Strengthen Readiness to Counter Threats

The United States Forces Korea Air Command announced on the 14th that on the 13th, the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force's F-35As conducted integrated training together with the U.S. Navy's F-35Cs. This training was conducted as part of the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) exercise.

In this training, F-35Cs from the U.S. Navy's Carrier Air Wing 97 (VFA-97), launched from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, participated alongside two F-35As from the U.S. Air Force's 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and two F-35As from the Republic of Korea Air Force's 17th Fighter Wing, conducting joint operations supporting FS.

On the 3rd, aircraft including F/A-18 fighter jets were lined up on the deck of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), which docked at the Busan operational base. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Through this training, the combined forces of South Korea and the U.S. demonstrated their capability to seamlessly integrate air, ground, and maritime operations, thereby establishing a more strengthened joint defense posture.

In particular, the naval aviation forces launched from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson participated in live flight training, further deepening the ability to conduct integrated operations among the forces. This enabled realistic training that meets the operational priorities of combat commanders.

Prior to this joint training, the combined U.S. and South Korean Air Force F-35A units conducted dynamic targeting and aerial refueling exercises, verifying their capability to detect, identify, and repel various threats.

Lieutenant General David Iverson, Commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, stated, “The joint training of fifth-generation fighters from the U.S. and South Korean Air Forces and the U.S. Navy is an important opportunity to demonstrate our military’s overwhelming combat readiness and capability. By integrating our advanced forces and weapons across all domains, we are proving the steadfast resolve of the combined ROK-U.S. forces to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. 7th Air Force is participating in the U.S. Air Force component training during the FS exercise, which is being held across the Korean Peninsula until the 21st.