South Korean Air Force grounds most aircraft after gun pods accidentally drop

The South Korean Air Force has grounded nearly all of its aircraft following an accident during a nighttime drill last week in which a KA-1 light attack aircraft inadvertently released two gun pods and empty fuel tanks.

The incident occurred on April 18 during a training exercise over Pyeongchang, a mountainous area located about 125 kilometres east of Seoul, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media.

While no casualties or property damage were reported, the release of the components led the Air Force to impose flight restrictions on its fleet, excluding reconnaissance operations and emergency standby aircraft, until April 22 morning. The decision is expected to disrupt the ongoing Freedom Flag air exercise, a joint training program between South Korea and the United States, which began on April 17 and involves approximately 1,100 personnel and 90 aircraft from both nations.

The Freedom Flag exercise includes a range of advanced aircraft, such as South Korea's F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16 fighter jets, along with U.S. F-16 and F-35B fighters, and MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones. It is scheduled to continue through May 2, with activities set to resume on April 22 afternoon.

In response to the incident, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su has called for a meeting of commanders on April 21 to emphasise the importance of tighter command protocols and inspections to prevent further accidents. The Air Force has yet to recover the fuel tanks and some 500 rounds of 12.7mm live ammunition that fell during the accident.

This latest mishap follows a similar incident in March, when two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, injuring 52 people, including 38 civilians. Initial investigations into both accidents have pointed to pilot error as a likely cause.

The Air Force has established a committee to investigate the latest accident and determine the underlying causes.

By Khagan Isayev