South Korean Air Force fighter jets will, for the first time, conduct a mid-air refuelling drill from US flying service stations over the Korean Peninsula later this month.
A military official said, “The F-15K and KF-16, our two main air force fighters, are capable of refuelling in mid air, but have never completed air-to-air refuelling in our skies.”
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“We will conduct the refuelling exercise with a US tanker every six months. Through these drills, we will have about ten pilots get their air refuelling certificates.”
The US Air Force KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa will be dispatched for the first time in August or September this year.
Aerial refuelling increases the time fighter jets can stay in the air and raises their weapons payload.
