British Typhoon Jets To Take Part In South Korean Air Exercise

Four Eurofighter Typhoon jets have arrived in Seoul Tuesday morning to take part in the first-ever trilateral combined air exercise with South Korea and the US.

This aerial drill marks South Korea's first domestic air combat maneuver with a foreign country other than its main ally, the United States.

Typhoons arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Tuesday morning along with a Voyager tanker aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft to be part of the weeklong "Invincible Shield" drill that ends Thursday, Yonhap reports citing a joint Air Force statement.

"This exercise is helping to deepen further the relationship between the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Royal Air Force (RAF), and I have taken enormous pride from witnessing our Air Forces join together to enhance even further cooperation between our countries," RAF's Chief of the Air Staff Stephen Hillier said in the statement.

U.S. 7th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson said the combined drill with South Korean and British air forces will help protect peace and security on the Korean Peninsula from the North's provocations.

"This exercise offers the opportunity to develop interoperability between different types of aircraft and weapons systems, and try out various tactics and techniques, thereby greatly contributing to improving the operational capabilities of each air force," a statement by the U.S. officer said.