What Happened
F-35As and Rafales Join Forces in Three-Year First
South Korea and France have resumed joint aerial exercises for the first time in three years, with a three-day drill at an air base in Cheongju. The exercise brought together South Korean F-35A stealth fighters and French Rafale fighter jets, alongside aerial refueling tankers. The two air forces conducted mutual aerial refueling, tactical flights, and a tribute to UN troops killed in the Korean War. The exercise was part of France’s Pegase mission, a program designed to test interoperability and deterrence capabilities with allied forces. This development was first reported by AeroTime.