Pyeongtaek: The U.S. Air Force in South Korea has conducted air operations drills with a heightened tempo in a bid to strengthen its combat readiness, its website showed Monday. The exercises involved aircraft from two Super Squadrons at Osan Air Base, located about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, which launched in rapid succession during a flying surge last week, as stated in a report from the 51st Fighter Wing.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the high-tempo training demonstrated the fighter wing's capacity to "generate and sustain air combat power in support of deterrence on the Korean Peninsula." The exercises marked a significant increase in planned flying operations, exceeding the normal daily rate by more than 50 percent. This surge showcased the wing's ability to "rapidly launch, recover and regenerate combat-ready aircraft."

"Surges are a scheduled effort to maximize sortie production and identify limiting factors in our processes," said Lt. Col. Andrew Radloff, 51st Maintenance Group deputy commander. "They allow us to test our systems, strengthen coordination across the wing and uncover challenges that may not appear during routine operations."