OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea –
The Seventh Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Command are hosting a combined large force exercise, Freedom Flag 24-1, with U.S., Republic of Korea, and Royal Australian Air Force participants Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, 2024.
The event is part of an annual training schedule designed to enhance the combined readiness and interoperability of combined air component forces, with large scale, integrated training on advanced, high-end tactics, techniques and procedures against an advanced adversary.
“Freedom Flag demonstrates the strength of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and the shared commitment of the ROK and U.S. air forces to the defense of the Korean peninsula and the United States,” said Lt. Gen. David Iverson, Seventh Air Force commander. “It enables us to work together to build the readiness we need, to deter our adversaries, and if that deterrence fails, to be ready to prevail quickly in any type of conflict.”
As Seventh Air Force adapts and adjusts its training focus to ensure continued preparedness, it is shifting its fall and spring major flying training events to be flag-level air exercises, modeled after the U.S. Red Flag exercises, to provide complex, scalable training opportunities to air and joint commanders in the Indo-Pacific region.
The name Freedom Flag was chosen to demonstrate the shared U.S. and ROK commitment to freedom and peace on the Korean peninsula.
“Freedom Flag represents the past, present, and future of the U.S.-ROK alliance,” said ROK Lt. Gen Kim Hyoung Soo, AFOC commander. “The ROK Air Force has been protecting the airspace of the Republic of Korea and safeguarding the freedom and peace of the Korean peninsula based on a strong U.S.-ROK combined defense posture.”
This year’s exercise seeks to improve multinational airpower in two phases, focusing on high-quality, face-to-face planning sessions Oct. 21 to 25, and then executing complex flying scenarios Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, featuring offensive and defensive counter-air, air interdiction, close air support, combat search and rescue, air drops, and aerial medical evacuation missions.
Military personnel from the ROK Air Force, USAF, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and Royal Australian Air Force, assigned to units from across the Indo-Pacific region including the U.S. Special Operations Command Korea and ROK Special Warfare Command, plan to participate in the training. RAAF support will not only include aircraft and aircrew – RAAF air battle managers will also join U.S. and ROKAF air controllers in the Korean Air Operations Center for the first time.
“Many nations value freedom for their people, and the international, rules-based order,” said Iverson. “Freedom Flag provides a valuable opportunity to train together and raise our readiness to defend those ideals.”
U.S. aircraft scheduled to participate include the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35B Lightning II, A-10 Thunderbolt II, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady, MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1C Grey Eagle, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-130J Super Hercules, MC-130J Command II, and AH-64 Apache, coming from locations both on and off the Korean peninsula. The RAAF will be providing aerial refueling support with a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, while ROKAF aircraft will participate with their F-35A Lighting II, F-15K Slam Eagle, KF-16 Fighting Falcon, FA-50 Fighting Eagle, F-5 Freedom Fighter, KA-1 light attack aircraft, C-130H Hercules, CASA CN-235 and KC-330. Various U.S. and ROK intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft will also join the training.
“This exercise will play an important role in enhancing the readiness of the ROK and U.S. air forces to deter enemy threats through high-level training,” Iverson said. “Although we focus on deterrence, every single day we are ready to defend both the Republic of Korea and the United States together with thousands of Airmen and hundreds of combat aircraft.”
Combined flying training events like Freedom Flag 24-1 are focused on readiness, not related to any current real-world situations, and are not intended to be threatening or provocative toward any other country.