This photo downloaded from the US 7th Air Force website shows an F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and an F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, flying over Denali National Park, Alaska, on Aug. 17, 2020, during the Red Flag-Alaska 20-3 Training. (US 7th Air Force website)
South Korea is expected to take part in an annual US-led multinational air force exercise for the first time in three years next month, with Japan also set to participate, officials said Thursday.
The Red Flag-Alaska 21-2 exercise is scheduled to take place in Alaska from June 10-25 involving around 1,500 service members and 100 aircraft, according to the US Seventh Air Force.
In addition to the US troops, the South Korean Air Force and the Japanese self-defense air force are scheduled to participate, "enabling the exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability with fellow Airmen," the US military said in a release.
"We are considering taking part in the exercise, and the final decision is expected to be made soon. We are closely monitoring related circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic," an Air Force officer in Seoul said.
If confirmed, it will be the first major combined military exercise among the three nations under the Joe Biden administration, which has called for the improvement of security ties between Seoul and Tokyo to better deal with North Korea and China.
The Korean Air Force last participated in the Red Flag program in 2018.
Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska drill is designed to integrate various forces and provide them with training chances in a realistic threat environment, according to the US military. (Yonhap)