H. Max Thunder Exercise
While Foal Eagle Exercise was yet to end, a joint air combat exercise, code-named “Max Thunder” which is the biggest-scale ever, was held from April 11 to 25, 2015 in the airspace over the Korean Peninsular, involving 103 aircraft and 1,400 personnel. ROK Air Force dispatched 50 aircraft, including F-15K, KF-16, F-4E, F-5 fighter jets, C-130 cargo plane and E-737. The USAF contributed nearly 50 aircraft, including F-15, F-16, F／A-18 fighter jets, AWACS and EA-18Gs.
According to the scenarios, ROK forces played the “red team” of launching surprise attack, while the ROK-US combined air group played the “blue team” that conducted “scorched earth” strikes and reacted flexibly to provocations from the “red team” with 30 scenarios. Cargo planes also exercised projection of weapons and supplies for the special operation forces in the central area of the enemy. Max Thunder Exercise was conducted solely by the USAF in 2008. However, since 2009, the exercise has been held by the air forces from the US and ROK. ROK’s Defense Daily stated that ROK-US air forces aimed to simulate a real war environment to the greatest degree in this exercise. Therefore, fighters with payloads capable of real-time accurate strike can turn the enemy’s provocation points into scorched earth. From April 14 to 18, US-ROK air forces also held the Pacific Thunder Exercise for search and rescue during the period of Max Thunder. In the exercise, HH-60Gs of USAF took off from Osan Air Base of USFK and rescued pilots in the operations.
H. Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian
From August 17 to 28, 2015, US-ROK Combined Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian was conducted in Korea. Being one of the largest scale command post exercises in the world, 50,000 Korean personnel and 30,000 US personnel participated, with the scale being equal to previous exercises. The focus was on joint operation planning and crisis management. Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, France, New Zealand and Britain also dispatched personnel to the exercise.
Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission （NNSC） observed the exercise to ensure its compliancewith the Armistice Agreement.
I. Buddy Wing Exercise
US-ROK Buddy Wing is a series of annual exercise which was held for 8 times in ROK in 2015. According to the open-source information, Buddy Wing 15-2 took place in Daegu Air Base from February 3 to 6, participated by the 8th Fighter Wing of the 7th Air Group of the USAF stationed in Kunsan Air Base as well as the 11th Fighter Wing of ROK Air Force, covering scenario of joint formation flight training. Buddy Wing 15-4 was held in Kunsan Air Base where the 8th Fighter Wing is stationed. In addition, the 123rd Tactic Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Wing and the 35th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Wing from the ROK Air Force participated in the exercise. The exercise focused on the joint operations at the tactic level and its purpose was to enhance capabilities of joint air combat operations. Buddy Wing 15-4 was conducted in Jungwon Air Base from July 7 to 10, participated by the 80th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Wing from USAF and the 19th Fighter Wing from ROK Air Force. Exercise scenarios included air combat, air interception, collaborative attack and reconnaissance. Buddy Wing 15-7 took place in Kunsan Air Base from November 16 to 20, participated by the 35th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Wing from USAF and the 11th Fighter Wing from ROK Air Force. Buddy Wing 15-8 kicked off in Osan Air Base in the middle of December, participated by the 25th Fighter Squadron from the USAF and the 237th Fighter sSquadron from ROK Air Force stationed in Wonju Air Base. KA-1 Woogbi from the 237 Fighter Squadron and A-10 Thunderbolt II carried out forward air control and close air support, which aimed to test joint tactics. Both the US and ROK air forces cooperated with each other to conduct tasks from scenario development to final execution in Buddy Wing Exercise. The exercise aims to improve interoperability between air forces, pilots, maintenance personnel and supporting personnel of the two countries, as well as to enhance the readiness level and joint operation capabilities.
In order to advance the Rebalancing Strategy further, the US has been actively expanding military defense cooperation with its Asian allies, in which combined exercises are one of its important approaches. Of all the combined exercises, the US gives priority to Southeast Asia,Northeast Asia and Rim Pacific sequentially in 2015, whereas the US employs most of its assets in the South China Sea. Since 2015, the US forces has been conducting Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea. Moreover, it intentionally intervenes in 12 nautical miles waters off China’s islands and reefs. These dangerous actions reveal that the US is now regarding the South China Sea as a key to the Rebalancing Strategy. Strategically, the US is planning to shift its military forces to the Asia-Pacific region through bilateral or multilateral exercises in the South China Sea. Returning to Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base is of great significance. By strengthening military deployment in the area, the US can project its forces to actions promptly according to cooperation defense treaty in case of conflicts in the South China Sea. The USN top leadership announces that aircraft carriers, submarines and amphibious warships are prioritized to strengthen its deployment in the Asia-Pacific. With a closer defense relationship with the Philippines, and based on the naval and air bases in the Philippines, the US forces plans to further their deployment of the underwater surveillance system so as to integrate reconnaissance, cyberspace and striking platforms from deep sea to space and consequently enhance the interoperability with the allies and Air-Sea Battle capabilities in the South China Sea.
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