South Korean Air Force

Air Force of the Republic of Korea 대한민국 공군 Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
Logo of the ROKAF
Lineup	October 1, 1949
Country	South Korea
Armed forces	Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea
Type	Armed forces ( air force )
Strength	63,000
management
Chief of Staff of ROKAF	General Lee Wang-keun
insignia
Aircraft cockade

The South Korean Air Force or Air Force of the Republic of Korea ( Hangeul : 대한민국 공군, Hanja : 大韓民國 空軍 , English Republic of Korea Air Force , abbreviated ROKAF ) is the air force of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) .

It is under the authority of the Ministry of Defense of South Korea . ROKAF owns around 700 aircraft of US origin. The current commander in chief is General Jeong Kyeong-du.

organization

• Republic of Korea Air Force Headquarters

• Air Force Operations Command

• 5th Airlift Wing
• 15th Special Activity Wing
• 30th Air Defense and Control Group
• 6th Combat Control Team / Combat Search And Rescue Squadron

• Air Force Northern Combat Command

• 8th Fighter Wing
• 10th Fighter Wing
• 17th Fighter Wing
• 18th Fighter Wing

• Air Force Southern Combat Command

• 1st Fighter Wing
• 11th Fighter Wing
• 16th Fighter Wing
• 20th Fighter Wing

• Air Defense Artillery Command

• 1st Air Defense Artillery Brigade
• 2nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade
• 3rd Air Defense Artillery Brigade

• Air Force Logistics Command

• Maintenance depots
• Supply depots
• Transportation Groups

• Air Force Education & Training Command

• Air Force University
• Basic Military Training Wing
• 3rd Flying Training Wing
• Air Force High School of Technology
• Technical Schools

• Aerospace Projects Group
• Aerial Combat Development Group
• Air Force Academy

Current equipment

F-15 on landing

Kamow Ka-27

Boeing 737 AEW & C AWACS - aerial reconnaissance aircraft of the South Korean Air Force

Planes

Status: end of 2013

Aircraft	origin	use	version	active	Ordered	Remarks
Warplanes
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II	United States	Multipurpose fighter	F-4E RF-4C	82
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter	United States		F-5E Tiger II	151
Boeing F-15 Eagle	United States	Multipurpose fighter	F-15K Slam Eagle	59
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	Multipurpose fighter	F-16C / F-16D	180
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II	United States	Multipurpose fighter	F-35A		60
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle	South Korea	Multipurpose fighter	TA-50 FA-50	11 0	11 20
Transport, tanker and reconnaissance aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	Tactical transport aircraft	C-130H C-130J Super Hercules	12 2	2
CASA CN-235	Spain / Indonesia	Tactical transport aircraft		18th
Airbus A330 MRTT	European Union	Transport and tanker aircraft			4th
Boeing 737 AEW & C	United States	AWACS - aerial reconnaissance		3
BAe 125	United Kingdom	spotter		8th
Training aircraft
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter	United States		F-5F Tiger II	35
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	two-seat fighter aircraft	F-16D	51
KAI T-50 Golden Eagle	South Korea	Supersonic trainer	T-50 T-50B	58
KAI KT-1 Ungbi	South Korea	Beginner training aircraft		106

helicopter

Status: end of 2013

Aircraft	origin	use	version	active	Ordered	Remarks
Aérospatiale AS 332 Super Puma	France			3
Bell 412	United States	Light multipurpose helicopter		3
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States	Medium-weight transport helicopter	CH-47D	5
Kamow Ka-27	Russia			7th
MD500	United States			25th
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk	United States	Transport helicopter	S-70 HH-60 UH-60P	29

future

KF-X

The Korea Aerospace Industries KF-X program is a project of the South Korean Air Force to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft . The effort is supported by Boeing. The requirements are:

• 2 engines
• Stealth properties
• Weapon bay

The aircraft is intended to replace the outdated F-4 Phantoms.

Web links

Commons : Air Force of the Republic of Korea  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

• Official website of the South Korean Air Force (English) (Korean)
• Korea Aerospace Industries (Engl.)
• Foxmouse Airbase (kor.). Archived from the original on September 11, 2012 ; accessed on March 24, 2020 . 
• The Republic of Korea Air Force at GlobalSecurity.org
• Armed Forces Overview of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea at GlobalDefence.net

Individual evidence

1. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 3.9 MB) In: Flightglobal Insight. 2014, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 26, 2014 (English). 
2. ↑ South Korea confirms choice of F-35. Flug Revue, March 24, 2014, accessed April 14, 2014 . 
3. ↑ South Korea takes over its first C-130J. Flug Revue, March 27, 2014, accessed March 30, 2014 . 
4. ↑ A330 MRTT tanker aircraft - Airbus receives billions in order from South Korea. Handelsblatt , June 30, 2015, accessed on September 12, 2015 . 
5. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 3.9 MB) In: Flightglobal Insight. 2014, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; accessed on March 26, 2014 (English).