{
  "id": 16552805,
  "title": "Korea, US kick off combined air drills this week",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/korea-us-kick-off-combined-air-drills-this-week-16552805",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T03:12:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/defense/20261026/korea-us-kick-off-combined-air-drills-this-week"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea and the United States have initiated their combined air drills, scheduled to last two weeks, at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, South Korea. The Freedom Flag exercise, aimed at bolstering wartime joint operations, will see the nations leverage their key aerial assets.\n\nThe Korean Air Force's F-15K, KF-16, and F-35A fighter jets will be among the allied forces participating in the drills, alongside the U.S. Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon jet, RC-135 reconnaissance plane, and the Navy's MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. Furthermore, the F-35B stealth fighter jet from the U.S. Marines Corps, and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned surveillance aircraft will also take part.\n\nThe U.S. Air Force and Korean Air Force will operate separate day and nighttime mission planning cells. These cells will facilitate the exchange of tactics and expertise, as well as refine wartime operational and mission execution procedures. The aim is to enhance the effectiveness of their combined air operations.",
  "summary": "Korea and the United States kicked off their combined air drills this week, focusing on counter-air and air interdiction missions aimed at enhancing wartime joint operations, the Air Force said Monday. The Freedom Flag exercise began Monday for a two-week run at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 180 kilometers southwest of Seoul, involving the allies' key aerial assets, including the Korean Air…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Toronto Sun",
        "title": "North Korea sends letter to UN slamming Seoul over landmine blast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/north-korea-sends-letter-to-un-slamming-seoul-over-landmine-blast",
        "published": "2026-10-26T00:40:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily NK",
        "title": "North Korea uses DMZ landmine blast to step up student military drills",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/north-korea-uses-dmz-landmine-blast-to-step-up-student-military-drills",
        "published": "2026-10-26T00:50:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "North Korea tells UN South ‘fabricated’ border landmine blast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/north-korea-tells-un-south-fabricated-border-landmine-blast",
        "published": "2026-10-26T00:51:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Conversation AU",
        "title": "We tracked a ship in North Korea’s shadow fleet. This is how it stays in the dark",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/we-tracked-a-ship-in-north-koreas-shadow-fleet-this-is-how-it-stays",
        "published": "2026-10-26T01:03:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}