MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2022) The South Korean air force has grounded its fleet and postponed air drills scheduled for this week after a fighter jet crash the day prior, South Korean media reported on Monday.
The Soaring Eagle exercises were supposed to begin on Monday, but the air force decided to reschedule after the KF-16C jet crash on Sunday caused by an engine malfunction, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing air force officials. Following the crash, the air force reportedly suspended the operation of all aircraft, with the exception of surveillance and emergency services.
The biannual Soaring Eagle exercises were launched in 2008. The latest drills took place in June, mobilizing about 200 military personnel and about 70 fighter jets, including F-35A, F-15K, KF-16, F-4E, F-5 and E-737 early warning and control aircraft.
The KF-16C jet crashed due to an unspecified engine abnormality on Sunday. According to the South Korean military, the pilot safely made an emergency ejection in a mountainous area, about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) west of the Wonju air base, and about 85 kilometers east of Seoul.
