The US and South Korean air forces have enhanced their precision strike capabilities by conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground live-fire training exercises during the first half of this year’s joint military exercise, Freedom Shield (FS).
According to military authorities on the 15th, over 40 combat aircraft, including the Korean Air Force’s F-35A, F-15K, KF-16, F-16, FA-50, F-4E, and the US 7th Air Force’s A-10 and F-16, participated in the exercise held from the 11th to the 15th at the West Sea firing range under the supervision of the Air Force Combat Command.
This exercise was conducted with a scenario to intercept low-altitude cruise missiles launched by North Korea, and precision strike the origin of North Korea’s firepower provocation.
When the target for live-fire training of air-to-air missiles, which acts as a North Korean cruise missile, was launched, F-15K, F-35A, FA-50, KF-16, F-16, and F-4E each launched air-to-air missiles such as AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120B AMRAAM, AIM-7M Sparrow to intercept the target. These missiles are short- to medium-range air-to-air interceptors carrying hundreds of fragments.
Afterward, when the enemy fired long-range artillery, ROK Air Force’s F-15K, KF-16, and F-16 dropped air-to-ground guided bombs such as AGM-84H SLAM-ER, AGM-65 Maverick, GBU-31·38 JDAM, SPICE-2000, etc., to obliterate the origins of the provocation, such as the long-range artillery positions. Each of these missiles can penetrate 1~2.4m of reinforced concrete.
Lieutenant Colonel Kang Myung Jin, belonging to the 162nd Combat Flight Squadron of the 19th Combat Flight Wing of the ROK Air Force, said, “Through live-fire training, pilots can gain a practical sense and confidence in weapon operation. We are carrying out every sortie as if it were actual combat and are prepared to immediately sortie and retaliate powerfully against any provocation by the enemy to the end.”