Under the title “Super Squadron,” the United States Air Force (USAF) will send more F-16 fighters to the vicinity of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea to test and maximize combat effectiveness. The units will be relocated from Kunsan Air Base in southwestern Korea to Osan Air Base, located just 80 kilometers south of the DMZ.
According to circulated information, the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan will increase from 22 to 31 fighters, according to a statement from the base, in what will be a one-year trial, during which the impact on sorties, maintenance, and manpower will also be assessed.
Although the decision is part of a scheduled test, it should be noted that in recent months, the situation between the two Koreas has been involved in hostile activities from both sides, leading to the resumption of military activities near the DMZ. Nonetheless, it is also a message from the United States about the interest that exists in Asia and how its presence in the region is becoming increasingly marked in light of the relationship between China, North Korea, and Russia.
The relocation of the F-16s to Osan is the latest measure taken by the Air Force in recent months to adjust its fighter position, explains Air & Space Forces.
Additionally, the Pentagon had recently announced the deployment of 36 F-15EX aircraft to Japan’s Kadena Air Base to replace the remaining F-15C/Ds at the base. Four dozen F-35As will also be added to Misawa Air Base to replace its 36 F-16s, making it the first overseas base in the Indo-Pacific to host USAF F-35 fighters and the second overall, after RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
Osan Air Base received its first F-16s in 1988, after Kunsan became the first overseas base to transition from F-4 Phantoms to F-16s in 1981. The Air Force’s latest modernization effort aims to upgrade the F-16 fleet with 22 modifications, including a new active electronically scanned array radar and a central display unit.
Finally, with the increased presence of F-16s at the base, some analysts have suggested that the USAF could retire the A-10 from the peninsula earlier than initially planned. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has described the A-10 as “increasingly obsolete and very difficult to maintain,” as the service has been pushing to gradually retire the fleet.
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