U.S., South Korea, Australian Air Forces Launch Joint Training Exercise

More than 130 fighter, cargo, tanker, and reconnaissance aircraft are participating in the 'Vigilant Defense 24' event.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 11:55 AM ET

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80th Fighter Generation Squadron Airmen observe an F-16 Fighting Falcon while conducting preflight systems inspections on F-16 Fighting Falcons during ‘Vigilant Defense 24’ at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, on October 28. [Credit: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sergeant Samuel Earick]

Key Takeaways:

U.S., Republic of Korea (ROK), and Australian air forces are conducting "Vigilant Defense 24," a massive annual combined flight training event in South Korea.
The exercise involves over 130 military aircraft of various types, focusing on enhancing joint interoperability, combat readiness, and refining defensive tactics, including air traffic control procedures for contingencies.
While coinciding with increased North Korea-Russia cooperation, the U.S. Air Force emphasizes the regularly scheduled training is defensive in nature and not intended to be threatening or provocative.

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U.S., Republic of Korea (ROK), and Australian air forces have launched a massive combined annual flight training event based in South Korea this week.

This year’s exercise, dubbed “Vigilant Defense 24,” involves more than 25 types of fighter, cargo, tanker, and reconnaissance aircraft as part of regularly scheduled training focused on joint interoperability among the Alliance, U.S. Air Force, and ROK Air Force. It is set to run through Friday.