[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence photo] US-South Korea Fighter Jets Launching Missiles

The Republic of Korea Air Force and the United States Air Force in Korea conducted live-fire training for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons at the West Sea maritime firing range. The training, hosted by the Air Combat Command of the ROK Air Force, involved over 30 aircraft including ROK Air Force F-35A, F-15K, KF-16, RF-16, FA-50, and F-4E fighters, as well as A-10 attack aircraft from the U.S. 7th Air Force's 51st Fighter Wing.

During the training period, the ROK-US air forces conducted live-fire and bombing exercises simulating a scenario where they intercepted low-altitude cruise missiles launched by the enemy, penetrated enemy air defense systems, and precisely struck key enemy targets.

First, when a "direct-hit type air-to-air guided missile live-fire target," simulating an enemy cruise missile, penetrated our airspace at low altitude, ROK Air Force F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16 aircraft on patrol launched AIM-9X and AIM-120B air-to-air missiles to accurately intercept the target. While evading enemy surface-to-air missiles, the F-15K and KF-16 dropped air-to-ground bombs such as GBU-31 and GBU-56 to completely destroy the enemy’s provocation origin. In particular, the F-15K fighter confirmed its precision strike capability by dropping the GBU-56 (L-JDAM) combined guided bomb on enemy targets.

The GBU-56, equipped with a precision laser sensor added to the existing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), can accurately bomb mobile enemy ground targets such as Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) based on its semi-active laser guidance function. The U.S. Air Force’s A-10 also neutralized enemy ground targets by dropping AGM-65 air-to-ground missiles and MK-82 air-to-ground bombs on ground objectives.

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