U.S. reviews permanent F-35A deployment in Gunsan

The U.S. military is reviewing a plan to permanently deploy the F-35A, a fifth-generation stealth fighter and a core asset of the Kill Chain — a preemptive strike system against North Korea — at Gunsan Air Base. The plan is seen as an effort to concentrate U.S. Forces Korea’s existing fourth-generation F-16 fighters at Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province, while newly deploying the F-35As to Gunsan in North Jeolla Province. The move aims to better counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and serve as a means to contain China.

A military source said Sunday that the U.S. military is envisioning the permanent deployment of F-35As at Gunsan Air Base. “Initially, one squadron, consisting of 20 aircraft, would be deployed, with the possibility of an additional squadron rotating in and out,” the source said. Although U.S. F-35As have been temporarily deployed to the Korean Peninsula during joint South Korea-U.S. exercises, they have never been permanently stationed in South Korea as a full squadron.

The move is viewed as part of a broader realignment of U.S. Forces Korea. Some analysts interpret the decision to consolidate the Seventh Air Force’s F-16 fighters — currently distributed between Gunsan’s 8th Fighter Wing and Osan’s 36th Fighter Wing — at Osan as preparation for the permanent deployment of the F-35As in Gunsan.

In July last year, the Seventh Air Force announced it would relocate nine F-16s from Gunsan to Osan to form and pilot its first “super squadron” comprising 31 F-16s. On Friday, it announced plans to transfer the remaining F-16s from Gunsan to Osan to establish a second super squadron. Once the second squadron, also comprising 31 F-16s, is operational in October, a total of 62 F-16s will be stationed at Osan, and no F-16s will remain in Gunsan. Despite the relocation, the Seventh Air Force said Gunsan Base would continue to be used as a major training and rotational deployment site for the U.S. Air Force.

The South Korean Air Force is also considering deploying an additional 20 F-35As at Gunsan Base, raising the possibility of U.S. and South Korean F-35As operating jointly there. The South Korean Air Force currently operates 39 F-35As, all stationed at Cheongju Air Base, and the 20 additional aircraft are scheduled to be operational starting in 2027.

The F-35A, capable of covertly penetrating deep into enemy territory, is considered a key asset of the Kill Chain, designed to eliminate critical targets such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile launch systems at the first signs of imminent use. However, a U.S. Forces Korea official said no final decision has been made regarding the permanent deployment of F-35As in Gunsan.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com