South Korea will join a large-scale U.S.-led multinational air exercise in Guam this month in an effort to strengthen operational capabilities with other nations, the Air Force said Thursday.
The annual Cope North exercise will take place at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam from Feb. 5-23, involving more than 80 military aircraft and some 3,000 troops from six countries, including Japan, Australia, France and Canada.
South Korea plans to send some 60 Air Force personnel and two CN-235 transport aircraft for the exercise, which will focus on various large-scale air maneuver and attack training to enhance cooperation among the participating countries.
The Air Force said its troops will take part in aerial medical evacuation, and personnel and cargo drop drills, as well as stage joint formation flights with French troops using the same CN-235 aircraft as it does to share operational knowledge on the plane.
“As seen in recent conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the importance of wartime operations
support capabilities through well-ordered personnel and cargo drops is growing,” Gen. Lee Young-su, Air Force chief of staff, was quoted as saying.
“I call on you to further enhance our military’s airborne ability and operational capabilities through the combined exercise with various countries in an unfamiliar environment,” he said.
The Air Force said this year’s Cope North is part of the multiyear exercise plan among South Korea, the United States and Japan approved last December amid efforts to bolster trilateral security cooperation.
South Korea first joined the exercise in 2014 but has participated in it every other year since 2018.
Source: Yonhap News Agency