South Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic team to refuel in Japan for first time

The Black Eagles, the South Korean air force’s aerobatic flight team, performs during an air show at an unspecified location in this undated photo. (South Korea Ministry of National Defense)

The South Korean air force’s demonstration team, the Black Eagles, will make a refueling stop on Okinawa for the first time next week, three months after Japan canceled a similar request.

Nine T-50B Golden Eagle training jets with the 53rd Special Air Squadron and a South Korean C-130J Super Hercules with the 251st Air Transport Flight Group are scheduled to arrive at Naha Air Base on Jan. 28, according to a Wednesday post on the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s website.

The aircraft will also participate in a “unit-to-unit exchange” with a Kawasaki T-4 training jet from Japan’s aerobatic team, Blue Impulse, the release said.

South Korea asked for refueling support from the Air Self-Defense Force while traveling to the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, taking place Feb. 8-12, a Japan Air Staff spokesman said by phone Thursday.

It will be the first time Japan’s air force refuels South Korean air force planes, the spokesman said. Japan is also considering a request to allow the Black Eagles to refuel on their return flight in late February, he said.

Some Japanese government officials must speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.

The exchange will “deepen mutual understanding between the Japanese and South Korean air forces and advance defense cooperation and exchanges,” according to the release.

Neither unit will perform on Okinawa.

The Black Eagles will participate in the Saudi air show for the first time, according to a Wednesday news release from the South Korean air force. The nine T-50Bs include one reserve aircraft and are traveling with four C-130s carrying 120 troops.

The aircraft will depart Wonju Air Base in South Korea on Jan. 28. After refueling in Naha, the group will stop in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Oman before arriving Feb. 2 at Saudi Arabia’s Malham Airport, the release said.

In early November, Japan canceled a planned refueling stop by the Black Eagles at the Naha base after the jets flew near Takeshima, a group of islets about 150 miles east of South Korea, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday.

The two countries have a territorial dispute over the remote islets, also known as Dokdo.

Japan protested the flight in late October, Kyodo News reported Nov. 12.

The flight was canceled because of “a lack of coordination between the defense authorities of Japan and South Korea,” Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said during a regular news conference on Nov. 4 in Tokyo. He declined to comment further.

In July, a South Korean C-130 Hercules airlifter, en route to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and low on fuel in stormy weather, made an unapproved stop at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Its uncleared approach prompted Japan to scramble fighters to intercept the airlifter.

South Korean authorities disciplined 10 people over the incident in August.