South Korea and France have resumed joint aerial exercises for the first time in three years, with a three-day drill wrapping up at an air base in Cheongju, roughly 110 kilometers south of Seoul.
The exercise, which ran from September 15 to 17, 2026, brought together South Korean F-35A stealth fighters and KC-330 Cygnus multirole aerial tankers, alongside two French Rafale fighter jets and an Airbus A330 aerial refueling tanker.
Mutual aerial refueling, tactical flights, and a Korean War tribute in Busan
On September 16, 2026, the two air forces conducted mutual aerial refueling exercises, designed to improve each side’s understanding of the other’s refueling systems.
They also staged joint tactical flights, dividing aircraft into allied and opposing forces to simulate real operational scenarios. Pilots from both nations used the exercise as an opportunity to exchange views on flight tactics and aircraft operations.
Beyond the tactical training, the South Korean and French air forces also conducted aerial performances over a memorial cemetery in Busan on Wednesday, in honor of United Nations troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. Three South Korean F-35A fighters and two French Rafale jets took part in the tribute.
How the Pegase mission connects South Korea to a nine-country French deterrence exercise
The French deployment to South Korea was part of Paris’ wider ‘Pegase’ mission, a program designed to test France’s interoperability and deterrence capabilities with allied forces across nine countries, including Canada, the United States, and Japan, running from September 8 through October 15, 2026.
In a written interview, Major General Vincent Chusseau, commander of the French Space Command, told Yonhap News Agency that the visit to South Korea was aimed at reviewing France’s role as a partner in addressing regional challenges, calling it a “stepping stone” to enhance operational interoperability between the two air forces.
Chusseau also noted that this year marks the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea, a milestone that has further deepened ties across all sectors through what he described as “deep friendship and trust”.
