A South Korean F-15K Slam Eagle lands at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Nov. 3, 2025, during Freedom Flag 25-2. (Tylir Meye/U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. and South Korean air forces kicked off their biannual joint Freedom Flag exercise on Friday with a focus on Seoul leading the way.
The two nations plan to conduct the large-scale training from Gwangju Air Base, 200 miles south of the capital, until April 24, according to both air forces. The training is aimed at strengthening combined readiness.
South Korea is leading this year’s drills as part of preparations for the eventual transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to the South Korean military, according to an air force news release Thursday.
President Lee Jae Myung has made assuming wartime operational control a priority during his term.
Freedom Flag will include a range of aircraft from both countries. The U.S. Air Force is deploying F-16 Fighting Falcons, E-3G Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, while the Marine Corps is contributing F/A-18 Hornets and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
South Korea’s air force plans to operate F-5E/F Tiger II, F-15K Slam Eagle and F-16 fighters, along with transport and early warning aircraft.
The drills will focus on improving combined operational capabilities, survivability and coordination in high-intensity scenarios, officials said.
The exercise “underscores more than 70 years of a strong U.S.-[South Korea] alliance, demonstrating a shared commitment to regional stability and security,” U.S. 7th Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Laura Hayden told Stars and Stripes by email Friday.
The 31st Air Expeditionary Wing is supporting live flying units for the first time during the exercise, providing command and control, logistics and base operations support, 31st Air Task Force spokesperson Lt. Daniel White said by email Friday.
Training will include defensive counterair, interdiction and close air support missions, along with simulated enemy threats designed to test tactics and procedures, according to the South Korean air force release. The exercise will also integrate fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft.
“We will develop our combined defense posture through high-intensity realistic training and share strategies and know-how tailored for modern warfare,” Col. Gang Soo-gu of South Korea’s Air Force Operations Command said in the release.
Freedom Flag was first launched in October 2024 and is now in its fourth iteration, Hayden said.
