[Photo] Stealth technology on display in largest ever US-South Korea joint military aerial exercise

A F-22 Raptor takes off from the Gwangju Air Force Base. (provided by ROK Air Force)

Disregarding the Chinese government’s repeated proposal of a “double freeze” agreement to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the Vigilant Ace-18 joint aerial exercises began on Dec. 4, featuring 230 aircraft from the South Korea and US air forces. Among these planes are state-of-the-art aircraft including stealth F-22 fighter and F-35 bomber jets. In September during a visit to Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, US President Donald Trump proclaimed, “When our enemies hear the F-35 engines, when they’re roaring overhead, their souls will tremble and they will know their day of reckoning has arrived.” The five-day exercise comes just days after North Korea’s test of a Hwasong-15 ICBM, and provoked a blistering response from Pyongyang, which accused the US of “begging for nuclear war.”

A U-2S surveillance aircraft lands at the Osan Air Force Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. (provided by ROK Air Force)

A USAF F-15 takes off from the Gwangju Air Force Base. (provided by ROK Air Force)

Two EA-18G Growler aircraft fly in formation after taking off from Osan Air Force Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. (provided by ROK Air Force)