SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s Air Force will participate in an Australia-led multinational military exercise set to begin in August, its officials said Thursday, as Seoul seeks to sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean threats.
The armed service plans to send six KF-16 fighters, one KC-330 tanker plane and some 130 personnel to join the biennial Exercise Pitch Black slated to take place in two Australian Air Force bases from mid-August through mid-September, the officials said.
“The Air Force plans to enhance capabilities for combined operations and military cooperation with participating nations,” the Air Force said in a statement.
The exercise will bring together some 2,500 personnel and up to 100 aircraft from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and other countries, according to the Australian Air Force website.
