The Air Force will deploy 12 F-16 fighter jets to Osan Air Base, South Korea, in the next few weeks to boost regional security in the Pacific.
The new rotation of F-16 Fighting Falcons and approximately 300 airmen from the 169th Fighter Wing from McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, are part of a routine theater security package meant to deter adversaries and enhance stability, the Air Force said in a release on Wednesday.
Rotations throughout the Pacific theater have been robust in recent months in wake of North Korea's intimidation tactics against U.S. allies, notably, South Korea.
In April, a dozen F-16s arrived at the base just 40 miles south of Seoul, as North Korea continued to defy sanctions with new ballistic missile tests.
The Falcons also flew to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in January days after North Korea claimed it tested a hydrogen bomb.
The F-16 package simultaneously positions fighter jets close to the ongoing conflict in the South China Sea, where the Chinese frequently exhibit hostile behavior with man-made island construction outside their territory.
The U.S. Navy carrier John C. Stennis departed the contested body of water after three months of patrols last month.
Osan is home to the 51st Fighter Wing and its squadrons of F-16s and A-10s.
Oriana Pawlyk covers deployments, cyber, Guard/Reserve, uniforms, physical training, crime and operations in the Middle East and Europe for Air Force Times. She was the Early Bird Brief editor in 2015. Email her at opawlyk@airforcetimes.com.
