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Korea, U.S. to stage regular joint aerial exercise this week at Osan Air Base

Published: 09 Feb. 2026, 15:34 Updated: 09 Feb. 2026, 19:07

South Korean and U.S. forces participate in the Buddy Squadron exercise at an air base in Wonju, some 90 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Jan. 24, 2025. [YONHAP]

The Korean and U.S. air forces will kick off a joint aerial exercise this week in a bid to enhance interoperability, Korea's armed forces said Monday.

The Buddy Squadron exercise will take place at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, from Monday through Friday, according to the Air Force.

It will involve Korea's KF-16 fighter jets and the U.S. F-16 fighters, along with the F-35A fighter jet and the FA-50 light attack fighter, to be deployed for a combined operations training.

This year, the Air Force plans to more than double the participating forces per session and dramatically increase the sortie, or the number of deployments, while reducing the number of yearly training sessions to four from eight.

The Buddy Squadron exercise is a battalion-level drill conducted in turns between Korean and U.S. air forces, aimed at sharing air-to-air tactics and conducting integrated tactical training involving fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets.

Yonhap