South Korea and France conduct three-day air drills to boost joint interoperability

From Tuesday to Thursday, South Korean and French air forces carried out a three-day exercise at Cheongju air base, the first joint drill between the two nations in three years. South Korea fielded F-35A stealth aircraft and KC-330 Cygnus tankers, while France contributed two Rafale fighters and an A-330 refueling tanker as part of its Pegase mission, which involves nine countries through mid-October. The program featured mutual aerial refueling, joint tactical flights pitting allied and adversary teams against each other, and a fly-over ceremony over a Busan memorial cemetery honoring UN troops of the Korean War.

Pilots exchanged tactical insights and operational methods, and Vincent Chusseau, commander of the French Space Command, described the deployment as a “stepping stone” for enhanced interoperability. The drills also highlight the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Paris.