{"id":29614586,"date":"2026-10-26T10:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/freedom-flag-exercise-south-korea-us-air-drills-kunsan-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T10:25:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:25:35","slug":"freedom-flag-exercise-south-korea-us-air-drills-kunsan-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/freedom-flag-exercise-south-korea-us-air-drills-kunsan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom Flag Exercise: South Korea and US Launch Air Drills at Kunsan"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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South Korea and the United States opened the <strong>Freedom Flag exercise<\/strong> on 26 October 2026, a two-week combined air drill that the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/republic-of-korea-air-force\/\">Republic of Korea Air Force<\/a> says will run until 6 November from <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-bases\/kunsan\/\">Kunsan Air Base<\/a> in Gunsan, about 180 kilometres southwest of Seoul.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The headline aims are familiar: defensive counter-air and air interdiction, flown by a mix of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters from both countries. The twist is political. Seoul wants this exercise to prove it can plan and lead combined air operations itself, as it works to take back wartime operational control of its forces from Washington.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Exercise:<\/strong> Freedom Flag, combined South Korea-US air drill (held twice a year)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Dates:<\/strong> 26 October to 6 November 2026 (two weeks)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Base:<\/strong> Kunsan Air Base, Gunsan, about 180 km southwest of Seoul<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>South Korea:<\/strong> F-5E\/F, F-15K, KF-16, FA-50, F-35A, KC-330, C-130J, E-737, HH-47, HH-60<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>United States:<\/strong> USAF F-16, RC-135, KC-135; US Navy MH-60S; USMC F-35B, MQ-9<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Aircraft totals:<\/strong> Not released<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Missions:<\/strong> Defensive counter-air, airborne alert interdiction, air interdiction<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Political aim:<\/strong> Test Korea-led combined operations ahead of the OPCON transfer<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What is flying<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>According to the South Korean Air Force release, as reported by Yonhap and SBS, Seoul is fielding <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/northrop-f-5\/\">F-5E\/F<\/a> fighters, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-15e-strike-eagle\/\">F-15K<\/a> Slam Eagles, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">KF-16s<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/kai-t-50-golden-eagle\/\">FA-50<\/a> light attack jets and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\/\">F-35A<\/a> stealth fighters. Support comes from KC-330 tankers, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/c-130-hercules\/\">C-130J<\/a> transports, E-737 Peace Eye early warning jets and HH-47 and HH-60 rescue helicopters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>On the American side, the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-air-force\/\">US Air Force<\/a> brings F-16 Fighting Falcons, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/kc-135-stratotanker\/\">KC-135<\/a> tankers. <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-naval-aviation\/\">US Navy<\/a> MH-60S helicopters join in, and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-marine-corps-aviation\/\">US Marine Corps aviation<\/a> sends F-35B stealth fighters and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mq-9-reaper\/\">MQ-9 Reaper<\/a> drones.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Neither air force has published how many aircraft are taking part. The releases list types, not tail counts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/freedom-flag-rokaf-f-15k-slam-eagles-taxi-kunsan.jpg\" alt=\"Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K Slam Eagles taxiing at Kunsan Air Base during Freedom Flag 25-2\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K Slam Eagles taxi to parking at Kunsan Air Base during Freedom Flag 25-2 in November 2025, the previous autumn iteration of the exercise. F-15Ks are flying again this time. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tylir Meyer \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Counter-air, interdiction and aggressors<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The mission set, as SBS reported it, covers defensive counter-air, airborne alert interdiction and air interdiction. In plain terms: defend friendly airspace against incoming attackers, keep strike jets airborne and ready to hit targets that pop up, and go after enemy forces before they reach the fight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Planners will run &ldquo;mission planning cells&rdquo; around the clock, by day and by night, to swap tactics and refine wartime procedures. The scenarios use aggressor aircraft playing the enemy, and the two sides will test how well their older fighters and their stealth jets fight as one force.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;Through intensive and realistic training, we will share strategies and know-how between the two countries tailored to modern battlefield environments and continue to advance our combined defense posture.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Lee Seung-hwan<\/strong> &mdash; Chief of the operations and training division, ROKAF Air Force Operations Command, October 2026 (English translation published by SBS News)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>That last point matters on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea now flies F-35As alongside F-15Ks and KF-16s, while the Marines bring short-take-off F-35Bs. Making those very different jets share a single air picture is the kind of problem that only gets solved by flying it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A drill with an OPCON deadline<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>In a war today, combined forces in Korea would fight under American-led command. South Korea wants to retake wartime operational control, known as OPCON, by 2030 or earlier, according to Yonhap, by showing that it can lead combined forces itself. This Freedom Flag will evaluate the planning and execution of Korea-led combined training as part of that effort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The exercise also comes two months after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint drills with South Korea, as Afterburner reported in August. Neither government has said whether this autumn&rsquo;s Freedom Flag is smaller than earlier iterations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n72sKxTGdMw\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">A 2025 US Air Force Expeditionary Center feature on agile combat employment during an earlier Freedom Flag exercise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two years of Freedom Flag<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Freedom Flag is young. The allies launched it in 2024, according to Yonhap, to replace their two regular large-scale air exercises: Korea Flying Training in the first half of the year and Vigilant Defense in the second. The first iteration, Freedom Flag 24-1, ran in October and November 2024, with Marine F-35Bs flying from Pohang.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/freedom-flag-usmc-f-35b-landing-pohang-2024.jpg\" alt=\"US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II landing at Pohang, South Korea, during exercise Freedom Flag 24-1 in October 2024\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A US Marine Corps F-35B of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 prepares to land at Pohang during the first Freedom Flag, exercise 24-1, in October 2024. Marine F-35Bs are on the list for this autumn&rsquo;s exercise too. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Erick Reyes \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The autumn 2025 edition at Kunsan was cut short. Stars and Stripes reported that it shrank from two weeks to one combined week because South Korea kept its forces on alert for the APEC summit in Gyeongju. This spring&rsquo;s Freedom Flag 26-1 ran from 10 to 24 April from Gwangju and Kunsan, with more than 30 US and South Korean units flying over 500 sorties, according to US Air Combat Command.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;[The exercise] underscores more than 70 years of a strong U.S.-[South Korea] alliance, demonstrating a shared commitment to regional stability and security.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Maj. Laura Hayden<\/strong> &mdash; US 7th Air Force spokeswoman, on Freedom Flag 26-1, to Stars and Stripes, April 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now the exercise is back at Kunsan, home of the US Air Force&rsquo;s 8th Fighter Wing, the Wolf Pack, for a full two weeks. The aircraft list is long and the stated goal is clear. When the jets land on 6 November, Seoul will have one more set of data on whether it is ready to run the air war itself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Yonhap, SBS News, Korea JoongAng Daily, Stars and Stripes, US Air Combat Command, US Air Force and US Marine Corps imagery (DVIDS via Wikimedia Commons)<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is the Freedom Flag exercise?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Freedom Flag is a large-scale combined air exercise between the South Korean and US air forces, held twice a year. It was launched in 2024 to replace two older drills, Korea Flying Training and Vigilant Defense, and focuses on missions such as defensive counter-air and air interdiction with fighters, tankers, surveillance aircraft and drones.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When and where is Freedom Flag in autumn 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The autumn 2026 Freedom Flag exercise began on Monday 26 October 2026 and runs for two weeks until 6 November, according to the South Korean Air Force. It is based at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 180 kilometres southwest of Seoul and home of the US Air Force&rsquo;s 8th Fighter Wing.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which aircraft are taking part in Freedom Flag 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">South Korea is flying F-5E\/F, F-15K, KF-16, FA-50 and F-35A jets, plus KC-330 tankers, C-130J transports, E-737 early warning aircraft and HH-47 and HH-60 helicopters. The US brings Air Force F-16s, RC-135s and KC-135s, Navy MH-60S helicopters, and Marine Corps F-35Bs and MQ-9 Reapers. Aircraft totals were not released.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why does Freedom Flag matter for OPCON transfer?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">South Korea wants to retake wartime operational control of its forces from the United States by 2030 or earlier. The autumn 2026 Freedom Flag will evaluate the planning and execution of Korea-led combined training, giving Seoul evidence that it can lead allied air operations itself rather than relying on American command.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When was Freedom Flag first held?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Freedom Flag began with exercise 24-1 in October and November 2024 and has since been held in spring and autumn. Earlier editions include a spring 2025 exercise, a shortened autumn 2025 exercise at Kunsan, and Freedom Flag 26-1 from 10 to 24 April 2026. The October 2026 exercise is the second of 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Was the autumn 2025 Freedom Flag shortened?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. Stars and Stripes reported that the autumn 2025 Freedom Flag was cut from two weeks to one combined week because South Korea kept its air force on alert for the APEC summit in Gyeongju. The first week was flown by US forces only, and the South Korean Air Force joined for the second week.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Freedom Flag exercise?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Freedom Flag is a large-scale combined air exercise between the South Korean and US air forces, held twice a year. It was launched in 2024 to replace two older drills, Korea Flying Training and Vigilant Defense, and focuses on missions such as defensive counter-air and air interdiction with fighters, tankers, surveillance aircraft and drones.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When and where is Freedom Flag in autumn 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The autumn 2026 Freedom Flag exercise began on Monday 26 October 2026 and runs for two weeks until 6 November, according to the South Korean Air Force. It is based at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 180 kilometres southwest of Seoul and home of the US Air Force\u2019s 8th Fighter Wing.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which aircraft are taking part in Freedom Flag 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"South Korea is flying F-5E\/F, F-15K, KF-16, FA-50 and F-35A jets, plus KC-330 tankers, C-130J transports, E-737 early warning aircraft and HH-47 and HH-60 helicopters. 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The first week was flown by US forces only, and the South Korean Air Force joined for the second week.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/trump-cuts-us-south-korea-military-drills-2026\/\">Trump Cuts Korea War Games, Hails Kim<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/south-korea-f-15k-epawss-electronic-warfare-2026\/\">South Korea Hardens 59 F-15Ks Against the Missile<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/south-korea-scrambles-kadiz-china-russia-aircraft-2026\/\">Seoul Scrambles as 10 Warplanes Test Its Watch<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/us-marine-drone-inter-korean-border-durumi-alert-2026\/\">A US Drone Triggered a Korean Border Scare<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Korea and the US opened the Freedom Flag combined air exercise at Kunsan Air Base on 26 October 2026, with F-15Ks, F-35s, F-16s and MQ-9s.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":29614295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29614586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Freedom Flag Exercise: Korea-US Air Drills Begin | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Freedom Flag exercise: South Korea and the US opened two weeks of combined air drills at Kunsan Air Base on 26 October 2026 with F-15Ks, F-35s 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