This July, six U.S. Air Force F-35As from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska arrived in South Korea to train with South Korean F-35As during a series of exercises meant as a response to nuclear-armed North Korea’s increased aggressive stance. 

This deployment demonstrates the strong deterrence and unified defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and its joint mission of regional security in the Indo-Pacific. The routine training flights will enhance the interoperability of the two air forces to perform and operate on and around the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean Air Force flies the F-35A, and its fleet of 40 of the fifth-generation jets became fully operational in the spring of 2022.  

The arrival of the U.S. Air Force F-35As marks the first known deployment of the jets to the Korean Peninsula for exercises since December 2017. U.S. sends F-35 stealth fighters to South Korea for first time in 5 years - UPI.com