Air Force Transport Aircraft Deployed in Guam Joint Exercises

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Our Air Force, along with the United States, Australia, and Japan, has commenced the 'COPE North 2022' training exercise. This regular joint air training is conducted at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, a U.S. territory, and across the Mariana Islands in the North Pacific.

According to the U.S. Pacific Air Forces Command website on the 4th, the exercise runs from the 2nd to the 18th of this month. It involves over 2,500 U.S. Air Force and Marine personnel, about 1,000 members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. Additionally, approximately 130 aircraft from more than 30 units participate.

Our Air Force participated in the India support segment of the training again this year, following 2020, dispatching CN-235 transport aircraft and personnel for this purpose.

On the same day, Voice of America (VOA) reported that when asked in a broadcast, "How does the trilateral joint training conducted in the Indo-Pacific region help deter North Korea?" the Public Affairs Office of the Pacific Air Forces Command responded that the exercise is not aimed at any specific country but described it as "an integrated coalition that prevents any potential hostile nations, including North Korea, from engaging in military actions."

It is considered unusual to specifically mention 'North Korea' in the context of regular exercises such as humanitarian disaster relief. This is interpreted as a warning message in response to North Korea's increased show of force, including the launch of the medium-range ballistic missile 'Hwasong-12,' which can reach Guam, for the first time in over four years on the 30th of last month.

Meanwhile, our Air Force participated in 2020 with two CN-235 transport aircraft and about 30 personnel. At that time, they conducted transport exhibition joint operations, air drops and airborne landings, and disaster response drills.

At that time, Japan deployed the US-2 (ShinMaywa), an amphibious search and rescue aircraft, in the training for the first time. Developed by Japan's ShinMaywa Industries, it is a four-engine turboprop aircraft used by the Maritime Self-Defense Force for search and rescue missions and patient transport. It has a range of 4,700 km and can operate in sea waves up to 3 meters high. The unit price is about 10 billion yen (approximately 100.7 billion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.