According to the Ministry of National Defense's "2022 Defense White Paper," the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) operates approximately 410 combat aircraft.
The generally known operational status of the Air Force's fighter units shows that the 8th Fighter Wing in Wonju has two FA-50 squadrons, while the 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon has one FA-50 squadron and one TA-50 squadron. The 10th Fighter Wing in Suwon operates one K-4E squadron and two KF-5E/F squadrons. The 18th Fighter Wing in Gangneung consists of two KF-5E/F squadrons, while the 19th Fighter Wing in Chungju consists of one KF-16 squadron and two F-16 squadrons.
The 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan has four KF-16 squadrons deployed, while the 38th Fighter Wing in Gunsan has one KF-16 squadron. Additionally, the 17th Fighter Wing in Cheongju uniquely operates the F-35A across two squadrons, and the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu uniquely operates the F-15K across three squadrons.
While the Korean Peninsula is not a vast territory, the special situation of military confrontation with North Korea is taken into account when determining fighter deployment bases, with regions finally selected based on each aircraft's performance and mission.
The Air Force is strongly considering basing the KF-21 "Boramae," which will begin operational deployment in 2026, at Gangneung Air Base. This reflects the mission of the KF-21, which will replace the F-5 scheduled for imminent retirement from the Gangneung base. As fighters capable of rapid takeoff and aerial response are needed, the plan is to assign the Korean-made supersonic fighter air-to-air missions to serve as the initial response to aerial provocations by North Korean air forces.
Air Force Fighters Face Limits in Long-Range Response Capability
The problem is that while the Air Force claims to operate its 410-plus combat aircraft without major issues—having assigned missions by fighter type and determined deployment bases based on operational regions—complaints of accumulated fatigue frequently emerge from units operating certain fighter types and their pilots.
With military threats growing from North Korea as well as China and Russia, concerns are rising that accumulated fatigue among Air Force pilots and airframes could lead to safety accidents. Until the Korean supersonic fighter KF-21 "Boramae" enters operational deployment in 2026, the current force must respond to airspace incursions by North Korea, China, and Russia, meaning the fatigue burden on pilots of certain controversial fighter types will inevitably continue.
For example, when China and Russia recently conducted joint flight drills, with two Chinese military aircraft entering and exiting the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) near Ieodo and two Russian military aircraft appearing from the northern East Sea to conduct joint formation flights, KF-16 fighters were scrambled to defuse the dangerous situation with warning shots.
The controversy is that in this process, response operations mobilizing dozens of KF-16s and other aircraft to track and warn off aging Chinese and Russian airframes have actually exposed limitations. While Chinese and Russian military aircraft have long ranges, Korean fighters (KF-16) have a short combat radius. They have no choice but to sortie in rotation and track in shifts, and the limitations in long-range response capability within the ROKAF's fighter composition are clearly confirmed.
The ROKAF operates 168 F-16 fighters and 168 KF-16 fighters (the domestically licensed production version of the F-16) at two air bases in the central region and one in Honam. Conducting operations over the East Sea is not easy. Some propose deploying these fighters to areas such as Gangneung, but the Air Force's position is clear: it is difficult to adjust deployment by deviating from the principle of positioning F-5-class aircraft in forward areas and front-line fighters south of the central inland region.
For this reason, concerns over accumulated fatigue and safety accidents persist among the units and pilots operating the F-15K, the only fighter capable of long-range missions. The 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu operates 59 F-15Ks divided into three squadrons. A total of 61 were imported, of which two crashed, leaving 59 currently in operation.
The F-15K has been named "Slam Eagle" by the Air Force. As a fighter-bomber capable of long-range operations, it handles both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. At the ROKAF's request, it has been equipped with the capability to operate Harpoon Block 2 anti-ship missiles and SLAM-ER air-to-ground missiles.
The F-4E Phantom is another long-range, twin-engine fighter, but Korea is the only country still using the original rather than an upgraded version, and all will be retired next month, making it realistically impossible to perform missions in tandem. Moreover, the longest a KF-16 fighter can loiter near Dokdo after taking off from a central inland base is 10 minutes, making long-range missions over the East Sea virtually impossible.
F-15K Annual Flight Hours: 1.56 Times the Air Force Average
As a result, the role of the 59 F-15K fighters at Daegu Air Base inevitably grows. For this reason, F-15K fighters are currently being operated near their limits, and solutions are not easy to come by.
According to sources inside and outside the Air Force, F-15K pilots' annual flight hours reach 1.56 times the Korean Air Force average. Missions are already heavy, and if they increase further, pilot and airframe fatigue could worsen, potentially leading to safety and loss-of-life accidents. Additional problems include the small fleet size and difficulties in securing parts. The F-15K is the fighter repeatedly criticized during annual parliamentary audits due to frequent "cannibalization"—removing parts from other fighters due to parts shortages. Even after the F-35A stealth fighter is fully deployed, the F-15K must remain a core asset for long-range strike missions, raising concerns that it could suffer internal damage.
Opinions are divided even within the Air Force regarding the additional introduction of aerial refueling tankers that could extend the KF-16's short combat radius. Some argue that tankers, still in the early stages of operational deployment, offer little help in force deployment during emergency scrambles. There are of course opposing views. Some argue that an armed KF-16 fighter, after fully completing its mission over Dokdo, could be refueled on the way back and redeployed. A military official said, "We are developing an operational doctrine in which a fully fueled aerial tanker waits outside the fighters' operating area and conducts refueling."
An even greater problem arises if the threat by China and Russia to take "self-defense measures" in response to warning shots by the Korean Air Force during joint flights becomes reality. "Self-defense measures" is understood to mean attaching escort fighters. If Russian or Chinese military aircraft accompanied by escort fighters violate Korean airspace, the worst-case scenario of aerial combat between fighters cannot be ruled out. In such a case, the escort fighter Russia could deploy would be the Su-37, a fighter in a different class from the F-16. From Korea's perspective, the structure leaves it inevitably dependent on the F-15K.
As airspace incursions by China and Russia become more frequent, arguments are emerging that additional F-15 fighters need to be introduced. Contrary to concerns that it would be discontinued, the F-15 continues to receive overseas orders, with new upgraded versions being developed and exports to the U.S. Air Force and allies accelerating. Japan is reportedly showing significant interest in the upgraded version, which is equipped with a new active electronically scanned array radar and greatly expanded armament. If Japan, which possesses F-15Js, accelerates upgrades to a level equivalent to the new version, Korea's advantage over Japan in F-15 fighters will also disappear.
Air Force Has Little Room for Additional F-15 Purchases
Yet the Air Force has almost no capacity to introduce additional F-15 fighters. With the budget concentrated on F-35 fighter procurement and KF-21 development, it has barely managed to introduce tankers and early warning aircraft. However, if the format and substance of joint Chinese-Russian flights becomes more serious, discussions on additional procurement will likely emerge naturally.
Some point out that support aircraft such as early warning aircraft are more urgent than fighters. An Air Force official said, "By introducing four additional early warning aircraft on top of the four currently deployed, [we could better respond to] North Korea, China, and...
