South Korean Air Force
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Republic of Korea Air Force
Mark of the Republic of Korea Air Force
Active	1949 – present
Country	South Korea
Size	65,000 regular personnel
Mascot	Haneuli / Purumae
Aircraft	790
Commanders
Air Force Chief of Staff	General Kim Eun-gi
Insignia
Roundel

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROK Air Force, ROKAF, Hangul: 대한민국 공군, Hanja: 大韓民國 空軍) is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense.

The ROKAF is an air force which has approximately 700 combat aircraft of American design, plus a few Russian and indigenously designed aircraft.

Founding Years

Shortly after the end of WWII, the Korean Air Construction Association was founded in 1946 by air-affiliated people to publicize the importance of air power. Despite the then-scanty status of Korean armed forces, the first air unit was formed on May 5, 1948 under the direction of Dong Wi-bu, the fore-runner to modern Korean Ministry of National Defence. On September 13, 1949, the United States contributed 10 L-4 Grasshopper to the Korean air unit. An Army Air Academy was founded on January, 1949, and ROKAF was officially founded on October, 1949.

The outbreak of Korean war and the 1950s

The 1950s were critical time for ROKAF, as it had expanded tremendously during the Korean War. At the outbreak of the war, ROKAF consisted of 1,800 personnel but only 20 trainer aircraft, including 10 T-6 Texan (Korean:건국기, Geongukgi) trainers purchased from Canada. The North Korean airforce had acquired a considerable number of MiG-15 fighters from the Soviet Union, dwarfing the ROKAF in terms of size and strength. However, during the course of war, ROKAF acquired 110 aircraft: 79 fighter-bombers, three fighter squadrons, and one fighter wing. The first combat aircraft received were F-51D Mustangs, along with a contingent of US Air Force instructor pilots under the command of Major Dean Hess. ROKAF participated in Pyeongyang Mass bombing operations and flew independent sorties. After the war, the ROKAF Headquarters was moved to Daebangdong, Seoul. Air Force University was also founded in 1956.

The 1960s

To counter the threat of possible North Korean aggression, ROKAF underwent a substantial capability enhancement. ROKAF acquired T-28 Trojan trainers, F-86D all-weather interceptors, F-5A/B fighters and F-4D fighter bombers. Air Force Operations Command was established in 1961 to secure efficient command and control facilities. Air Force logistics Command was established in 1966, and emergency runways were constructed for emergency use during wartime. Eunma Unit was founded in 1966 to aid the United States during the Vietnam War.

The 1970s

ROKAF was posed with a security risk, with increasingly belligerent North Korea throughout the 1970s. The South Korean government increased its expenditure on the ROKAF, resulting in purchase of F-5E fighters (August 1974) and F-4E fighter bombers. Support aircraft, such as C-123 Providers and S-2 Trackers were also purchased at the time. Great emphasis was placed in the flight training program; new trainer aircraft (T-41 Mescalero and Cessna T-37) purchased, and Air Force Education & Training Command was also founded in 1973 to consolidate and enhance the quality of personnel training.

The 1980s and 1990s

ROKAF concentrated on qualitative expansion of aircraft to catch up to the strength of North Korean Air Force. In 1982, Korean variants of F-5E, Jegong-ho (hangul:제공호, hanja:制空號) were first produced. The ROKAF gathered considerable information on North Korean air force when Captain Lee Woong-Pyeong, a North Korean pilot, defected to South Korea. Korean Combat Operations Information center was institutionalized and the Air Defence system was automated to attain air superiority against North Korea. When 1988 Seoul Olympics was hosted, ROKAF contributed to the successful hosting of the event by helping to oversee the entire security detail. ROKAF also moved the headquarters and Air Force Education & Training Command. 40 F-16C/D fighters, advanced versions of F-16C/D Block 32, were introduced in 1989.

South Korean committed its support for the Coalition force during the Gulf War. Bima Unit was formed to participate in Operation Desert Storm. ROKAF also provided Airlift support for Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia in 1993. The increased participation in international operations depicted the ROKAF's elevated international position. Over 180 KF-16C/D fighters, advanced versions of F-16C/D Block 52, was introduced as part of the Peace Bridge II & III program from 1994. In 1997, for the first time in Korean aviation history, female cadets were accepted into the Air Force Academy.

Present

The ROKAF roundel was recently changed to more closely resemble the national flag

South Korea maintains a modern air force in order to defend itself from various modes of threats, including the North Korean Army, which fields about twice as many aircraft (of mostly obsolescent types). As of 2007, it operated more than 180 KF-16C/Ds, 234 F-5A/B/E/Fs, 130 F-4D/Es, 32 F-15Ks with the rest of the 29 F-15Ks being delivered by June 2010, and a number of South Korean made KAI A-50s among its combat aircraft. The last South Korean F-5A/B were retired as of August 2007 and are to be replaced by the F-15K and A-50. The Korean variant of F-15E were named F-15K Slam Eagles due to their ability to launch the SLAM-ER missiles. South Korea became one of the world's few aircraft exporters when it exported 19 KT-1B indigenous training aircraft to Indonesia in 2003. Korean Aerospace Industries, the South Korean national aerospace company, has plans to export more KT-1 and T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer aircraft.

The Republic of Korea Air Force also expressed interests in acquiring the RQ-4 Global Hawk and Joint Direct Attack Munition kits to further improve their intelligence and offensive capabilities.

Order of battle

• Republic of Korea Air Force Headquarters (대한민국 공군본부)

• Air Force Operations Command (공군작전사령부)

• 5th Tactical Airlift Wing (제5전술공수비행단)
• 15th Composite Wing (제15혼성비행단)
• 30th Air Defense and Control Wing (제30방공관제단)
• 6th Combat Control Team/Combat Search And Rescue Group (제6탐색구조전대)

• Air Force Northern Combat Command (공군북부전투사령부) (unit under formation)

• 8th Fighter Wing (제8전투비행단)
• 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단)
• 18th Fighter Wing (제18전투비행단)
• Fighter Wing (전투비행단)
• Fighter Wing (전투비행단)

• Air Force Southern Combat Command (공군남부전투사령부)

• 1st Fighter Wing (제1전투비행단)
• 11th Fighter Wing (제11전투비행단)
• 16th Fighter Wing (제16전투비행단)
• Fighter Wing (전투비행단)

• Air Defence Artillery Command (방공포병사령부)

• 1st Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제1방공포병여단)
• 2nd Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제2방공포병여단)
• 3rd Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제3방공포병여단)

• Air Force Logistics Command (공군군수사령부)

• Maintenance Depots (정비창)
• Supply Depots (보급창)
• Transportation Groups (수송단)

• Air Force Education & Training Command (공군교육사령부)

• Air Force University (공군대학)
• Basic Military Training Wing (기본군사훈련단)
• 3rd Flying Training Wing (제3훈련비행단)
• Air Force High School of Technology (공군기술고등학교)
• Technical Schools (병과학교)

• Aerospace Projects Group
• Aerial Combat Development Group (공군전투발전단)
• Air Force Academy (공군사관학교)

Current projects

A South Korean F-15K Slam Eagle comes in for fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker.

F-X fighter program

F-X Phase 1

One of the most recent additions to the ROKAF is F-15K Slam Eagle (Korean: F-15K 슬램이글), an advanced derivative of the F-15E Strike Eagle which fulfilled the requirements of the "F-X" next generation fighter program in 2002. The F-15K was chosen over the Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Sukhoi Su-35. Although the Rafale received more favorable reviews by the senior military officials, the F-15K was chosen at the end due to the easier process of unit integration since the ROKAF already has existing stockpiles of weapons that can be used with the F-15K more easily than with Rafale.

F-15K crash controversy

On June 7, 2006, an F-15K crashed off the coast of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, S. Korea, during a nighttime intercept training mission, killing both pilots on board. The ROKAF commissioned a full investigation, lasting several months. The Republic of Korea Air Force later issued a public statement saying that the accident was apparently caused by both crew members entering a state of g-loc that lasted 16 seconds and resulted in loss of control of the aircraft. Subsequent public outcry ensued with accusations of a cover-up. Various Discussions included 1. the blackbox (ECSMU) was not recovered, due to the great depth (1200ft)of the crash site. 2. F-15Ks are NOT equipped with automatic GLC (G Limited Control anti-gloc device) systems, and 3. the pilots were both seasoned Air Force veterans and the claim that both of them simultaneously lost consciousness for 16 seconds seemed unlikely. (The normal time for gloc is between 2 to 3 seconds). Other factors considered in the investigation were the cloudy weather conditions, pilot workload , night mission with the use of NVG's ( night vision goggles). Flight control actuators and major engine parts that were found and analyzed as part of the investigation which ruled out mechanical problems with the aircraft.[1]

F-X Phase 2

For the second phase of the F-X program, ROKAF has purchased 21 additional F-15K to compensate for the retirement of their F-5A/B in August 2007. The avionics configuration for the Phase 1 and 2 F-15K remains largely identical, and the only differences are that the weapon compatibility has been increased (AGM-158 JASSM, Bunker Busters, etc.) and that the engines have been switched from the F110-STW-129A to the F100-PW-229EEP, an improved version of the F100-PW-229. The new engines have commonality with the F100-PW-229 engines on the KF-16 and are compatible with each other, allowing ROKAF the option to interchange the engines among the KF-16 and Phase 2 F-15K. This allows the F-15K to be equipped with a KF-16's F100-PW-229 if necessary. However, the decision has not been well received by South Korean Military Manias, who remain skeptical about the Pratt & Whitney engines due to its reliability problems on the KF-16 and consider the General Electric engines to be much more reliable. [2][3]

F-X Phase 3

The third phase of the F-X project is a bid for an advanced multirole strike-fighter aircraft by 2015. The rumored purchase number is 40-60 aircraft, and the F-35 is currently the only candidate. The Korean Ministry of Defense has shown interest in the F-22, but the US Defense Department is unlikely to permit its export.

E-X Early warning aircraft program

The E-X Early Warning aircraft program was a project undertaken by ROKAF to purchase early warning aircraft to strengthen ROKAF's ability to detect and distinguish both friendly and hostile aircraft. The two candidates for this program were Boeing Wedgetail, military variants of Boeing 737, and Gulfstream G500/G550, developed by General Dynamics.

The variant of Boeing 737 was offered by the United States, whereas the variant of Gulfstream of G500/G550 was offered by Israel. Originally, ROKAF expressed interest in the Gulfstream as it was cheaper than the Boeing counterpart. The Gulfstream was, in turn, less capable than the 737. However, the fact that almost no other nations, barring Japan, has advanced AWACS gave the Koreans the impression that the Gulfstream would be adequate enough to handle the given task of the E-X project.

In response to ROKAF's favor of the Israeli version of Gulfstream's lower cost, the United States issued a warning to the Israelis that several of the AWACS technologies employed aboard the Israeli Gulfstream were developed by the United States, such as the IFF system, TADIL A/B (link 11) and J (link 16), satellite communications and AN/ARC-164 Have Quick II radios, and finally that the Israelis were in obligation of not reselling any of those technologies to another country.

The winner of the competition is conclused by Boeing E-737 at November, 2006.

KFX future fighter program

Main article: KFX (aircraft)

The KFX program is a project to develop an indigenous fighter aircraft. The ROKAF specified a twin-engined stealth fighter with an internal weapon bay. Boeing will be assisting South Korea in the development of the KFX, which is intended to replace the aging F-4s.

Main equipment

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[1]	Notes
Avro 748	United Kingdom	VIP transport	HS.748	2
BAE Hawk	United Kingdom	trainer	T-59 Hawk 67	20
Bell UH-1H Iroquis	United States	utility helicopter	UH-1H	5
Bell UH-1N Twin Huey	United States	transport helicopter	212 UH-1N	2 3
Bell 412	United States	transport helicopter		6
Boeing 737	United States	VIP transport	737-3Z8	1
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States	rescue helicopter	HH-47D	7
Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle	United States	fighter-bomber	F-15K Slam Eagle	34	Another 26 under delivery
CASA CN-235	Spain  Indonesia	tactical transport	CN-235-100 CN-235-220	12 12	built by CASA built by IAe
Cessna T-37 Tweet	United States	trainer	T-37C Tweet	25	T-37 is replaced by KT-1
Eurocopter AS-332L Cougar	Indonesia	VIP transport helicopter	AS 332L	4	built by IPTN
Ilyushin Il-103	Russia	trainer	T-103	23
KAI KT-1 Ungbi	South Korea	trainer forward air control&liaison	KT-1 KA-1	76 10
KAI A-50 Golden Eagle	South Korea	advanced trainer/light attack	A-50	0	22 on order
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle	South Korea	advanced trainer/light attack	T-50	25
Kamov Ka-32 Helix-C	Russia	rescue helicopter	Ka-32T	7
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	tactical transport	C-130H C-130H-30	8 8
Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	fighter fighter/trainer fighter fighter	F-16C Block 32 F-16D Block 52 KF-16C Block 52 KF-16D Block 52	24 12 68 76	KF-16 built by KAI
McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II	United States	fighter-bomber fighter-bomber reconnaissance	F-4D F-4E RF-4C	20s 80s 17	F-4D to be replaced by F-15K F-4E to be replaced by KFX
Northrop F-5 Tiger II	United States	fighter trainer	F-5E Tiger II F-5F Tiger II	72 102
Northrop T-38 Talon	United States	trainer	T-38A	30
Raytheon Hawker 800	United States	reconnaissance	Hawker 800RA Hawker 800SIG	4 4
Sikorsky S-92A Superhawk	United States	VIP transport helicopter	S-92A	3

In addition, the Air Force Air Defense Artillery Command is responsible for six Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk and three MIM-14 Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile battalions. These are to be withdrawn and replaced by KM-SAM and Raytheon MIM-104C PAC-2 missiles.

Some units of the South Korean Air Force still use M1911 pistol as officers' sidearms(2008).

Military ranks

Officer ranks can be learned fairly easily if one sees the pattern. "So" equals small; "Jung" equals medium; "Dae" equals large. "Jun" equals very small (used for 1 star general).
Each of these is coupled with "wi" equals company grade, "ryung" equals field grade, and "jang" equals general. This system is due to the hanja or Sino-Korean origin of the names.

Because of this system, the same "Dae", but with a different "jang" means "large intestine," while "Sojang" can mean "small intestine." This is sometimes the subject of South Korean military humor.

Commissioned Officers

Warrant officers

Non-Commissioned Officers

Enlisted

¹: No one held the rank of Won-su in the history of the ROK Armed Forces yet.
²: The Jun-wi (Warrant Officer)'s insignia is in brass color while the ones of Second Lieutenant and higher are in silver color.

References

See also

• Military of South Korea
• Korean People's Army Air Force
• Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ)

External links

• ROK Air Force official website (Korean / English)
• Korea Aerospace Industries(KAI) official website (Korean / English)
• Foxmouse Airbase (Korean)

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