Air Force tankers will begin regular in-flight refueling drills by September with South Korean air force fighters, according to press reports. “The F-15K and KF-16, our two main air force fighters, are capable of refueling in mid air, but have never completed air-to-air refueling in our skies,” stated a South Korean military spokesman, reports airforce-technology.com. The bilateral exercises will take place every six months. A KC-135 from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, is slated to participate in the initial exchange. Given heightened tensions with North Korea, South Korean defense officials are keen to enhance the survivability and strike-response of aircraft by enabling them to remain airborne longer during crisis situations, reports UPI. South Korea has not announced any plans yet to acquire its own tanker fleet.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…