hankyoreh

An F-35B stealth fighter takes off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture

After completing exercises on the Korean Peninsula, F-35B stealth fighters with the US Marine Corps returned to their base in Japan. This was the first time that the F-35 had been dispatched to the Korean Peninsula.

US Forces Korea announced on Mar. 25 that F-35B fighters stationed at an US military base in Japan had returned to base after participating in the Korean Marine Exchange Program (KMEP), which are joint exercises between the US and South Korean marines held recently on the Korean Peninsula.

The F-35B is equipped to avoid radar while penetrating deep behind enemy lines to attack nuclear facilities. It’s also regarded as a key link in the “kill chain” that is supposed to eliminate North Korean missiles by launching a preemptive strike when there are indications of a missile launch. The F-35B’s flight to the Korean Peninsula is being seen as a warning to North Korea about its recent provocations, including missile launches and evidence of preparation for a nuclear test.

According to the US military, the F-35Bs were affiliated with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the 12th Marine Aircraft Group and took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The military explained that the flight exercise was intended to strengthen South Korea-US Marine tactical interoperability and allied combat capabilities, but did not give specifics on how many aircraft participated in the exercises or for how many days.

US Forces Korea explained that the F-35B included in the exercises is a fifth-generation fighter plane with top capabilities, equipped with short-range vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, stealth function, top-of-the-line radar, and sensor technology and electronic warfare systems. The F-35B model applies vertical takeoff and landing capabilities to the F-35A base model. The South Korean Air Force plans to introduce 40 of the F-35A aircraft between 2018 and 2021.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]