South Korea and the United States on Friday conducted a joint air force drill to enhance their coordination in search and rescue for pilots stranded after an emergency bailout on enemy soil, officials said.
The drill, held in South Korea's southwestern Jeolla province, is the largest of its kind, mobilizing a pair of HH-60 helicopters, four KF-16, four F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, and six anti-tank A-10C warplanes, South Korean and U.S. air force officials said.
The U.S. operates 28,500 troops in South Korea that include air force personnel, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce with North Korea.