Korea, US begin joint air drills

The Republic of Korea and the United States began a combined air exercise Tuesday, the Air Force said, in efforts to strengthen joint combat capabilities, Yonhap News Agency reported. The exercise will run through 8th August at an air base in Suwon, south of Seoul, and feature the US Marine Corps' F/A-18C/D and F-35B fighters as well as Korea's F-16, FA-50, KA-1 and F-15K aircraft, according to the Air Force. The joint air drills will include training on base fighter maneuvers, close air support, air interdiction and defence counter air, meant to enhance the allies' interoperability of different types of aircraft, it added. Earlier this month, the US Indo-Pacific Command said that the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft and the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron, dubbed the Fighting Bengals, arrived at Suwon Air Base to enhance their standard of readiness and lethality with Korean allies and joint forces. Source: Emirates News Agency