S. Korea, US hold regular fighter jet drills

South Korea and the United States began a regular joint air exercise on March 4, involving their fighter jets, in conjunction with the allies' major springtime exercise, the South's Air Force said, Report informs referring to Yonhap.

The Buddy Squadron exercise got underway at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, for a five-day run as part of the annual Freedom Shield exercise that kicked off the same day, according to the Air Force.

The latest air drills, which marked the first of its kind this year, will mobilize some 20 fighter jets, including South Korean F-15Ks and US F-16s, to train on defensive counter-air maneuvers, it said.

The exercise is among 48 field training exercises the allies plan to stage this month in connection with Freedom Shield, which will run through March 14.

The allies first staged the squadron-level exercise in 1991 to enhance their fighter jet pilots' capabilities, although its name has changed over the years. The two sides will stage the exercise eight times this year.