Korea and France resume joint air drills

Korea and France staged a joint aerial exercise this week aimed at enhancing interoperability between their troops, the Korean Air Force said Thursday.

The three-day drills, which kicked off Tuesday, took place at an air base in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, according to the armed service.

It marks the first joint drills between Korea and France in three years.

The Air Force mobilized its F-35A stealth jets and KC-330 Cygnus multirole aerial tankers, among others, while the French Air Force deployed two Rafale fighter jets and an A-330 aerial refueling tanker for the drills.

The French team was mobilized as part of France's "Pégase" mission designed to inspect its interoperability and deterrence capabilities with allied forces. The exercise is scheduled to take place across nine countries, including Canada, the United States and Japan, from Sept. 8 through Oct. 15.

On Wednesday, the Korean and French air forces conducted mutual aerial refueling designed to enhance the understanding of their respective aerial refueling systems.

The air forces also staged joint tactical flights by dividing teams into allied and enemy forces, and the pilots from both nations shared their thoughts on strategic flight tactics and aircraft operational methods.

Additionally, the Korean and French air forces staged aerial performances at a memorial cemetery in Busan early Wednesday to commemorate the sacrifices of UN troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. Three F-35A stealth jets from Korea and two Rafale fighter jets from France were mobilized for the air show.

Maj. Gen. Vincent Chusseau, commander of the French Space Command, said the visit by French aerial assets to Korea marks a "stepping stone" to enhance operational interoperability between the air forces.

"The reason the French aircraft visited Korea through the Pégase mission was to review the French air and space forces' role as Korea's partner to counter regional challenges, and [it] serves as a stepping stone to enhance operational interoperability between the troops," Chusseau said in a written interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The French commander highlighted that the two nations have strengthened their relations through "deep friendship and trust" across all sectors, noting this year marks the 140th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

Yonhap