The US Air Force currently operates around 840 F-16s of different variants, while the Republic of Korea Air Force also maintains a fleet of 180 F-16C/D aircraft.
In June 2024, the US Seventh Air Force in South Korea enhanced its F-16 Fighting Falcon force at Osan Air Base by adding nine aircraft from Kunsan Air Base, creating a “Super Squadron” with 31 of the multirole fighters.
Preparations are now underway for further transfers under the program’s “Phase II.”
The ongoing reassignments are meant to “maximize capabilities and increase combat effectiveness on the Korean Peninsula,” the Air Force explained. Phase II, which will begin in October and continue through October 2026, will see approximately 31 additional F-16s along with around 1,000 US Air Force airmen reassigned, deployed from Kunsan AB to Osan AB.
The transfer of aircraft and personnel will take place “over the next several months,” and as a first step, aircraft maintainers at Osan will integrate with the 36th Fighter Generation Squadron.
“Osan is receiving additional F-16s as part of the Air Force’s Super Squadron Test Part II initiative, which is a force-optimization test designed to see if a larger, consolidated squadron can generate more combat power and operate more efficiently,” said Capt. Bryce Hughes, 51st Maintenance Group Officer and Sortie Generation Flight commander.
According to the Air Force, Phase II will also capitalize “on data from the first phase,” and will further assess key “focus areas” that include maintenance of the aircraft, manpower needs, and other “logistics requirements.”
The service has sought to determine how a larger squadron can enhance readiness and training while reducing manpower, as well as logistical support.
The temporary redeployment will not impact the number of F-16s based in South Korea. As for the aircraft and crews, the relocation distance is not significant. The bases are only about 105 miles apart, with Kunsan AB located on the southwest coast of South Korea, about 110 miles south of Seoul, while Osan AB is about 40 miles south of the Republic of Korea’s capital. The latter base is also the headquarters of the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) Operations Command, and it is the arrival point for US government-contracted “Patriot Express” flights that bring US service members as well as their families to South Korea from the United States and Japan.
During the Phase II tests, the 51st Fighter Wing will continue its “Fight Tonight” defensive posture from Osan AB.
The United States Air Force currently operates around 840 F-16s of different variants, while the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) also maintains a fleet of 180 F-16C/D aircraft. The RoKAF was the second air force after the United States to fly that variant.
Osan AB is capable of accommodating the extra F-16 Fighting Falcons, as the base has begun to retire its two dozen Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support (CAS) fighters that have been stationed in South Korea since the early 1980s. Plans have called for the last A-10s to be withdrawn from Osan by the end of fiscal year 2025 (FY25) on September 30, 2025.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
