2023 Soaring Eagle training participants visit Cheongju Air Base
The Air Force announced on the 16th that the Air Force will conduct the 2024 first-half ‘Soaring Eagle’ training from the 17th to the 24th at the 17th Fighter Wing in Cheongju.
The training, organized by the Air Combat Command, will involve more than 60 aircraft, including F-35A, F-15K, KF-16, FA-50, F-5 fighters, KA-1 airborne command and control aircraft, KC-330 multi-role aerial refueling transport aircraft, and E-737 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The training will be divided into Blue Air and Red Air teams, with scenarios involving enemy fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle penetration, cruise missile launches, and defensive support training to respond to provocations. The exercises will focus on intercepting provocative threats such as enemy mobile missile launchers before they can launch.
This year’s training will also include the first participation of the Air Force Space Operations Squadron, monitoring enemy electronic interference and sharing the location of enemy jamming devices to support mission completion.
Nighttime aerial refueling training will also be conducted, emphasizing the importance of teamwork between tanker and receiving aircraft when visibility is limited.
The Soaring Eagle training has been conducted by the South Korean Air Force independently since 2008, with one to two exercises held annually. Although the training was conducted discreetly after 2018 in consideration of inter-Korean dialogue, it has been publicly acknowledged since 2022.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee Sang-taek, director of the training unit, stated that the Air Force will maximize the use of its forces and available assets to enhance pilots’ response capabilities against escalating threats.