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Air Force Events ·๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea

South Korea Air Force Losses, Crashes & Deliveries

Recorded aircraft losses, crashes, shoot-downs and deliveries for the South Korea air force, each with a date and source. See the South Korea air force overview.

Events at a glance

Events per year 2022โ€“2026
2022 โ€” 0 events 0 2022 2023 โ€” 2 events 2 2023 2024 โ€” 2 events 2 2024 2025 โ€” 6 events 6 2025 2026 to 9 Oct โ€” 5 events 5 2026

2026 is a partial year: the bars run to 9 Oct 2026.

By event type 15 events logged ยท 8 airframes lost
  • Destroyed 1
  • Crash 7
  • Damaged 1
  • Ordered 3
  • Delivered 2
  • Retired 1

These totals count what GlobalMilitary.net has logged from public reports since 2022, not a complete register: an event we have not recorded is not an event that did not happen. Coverage of the tracked wars is much denser than coverage of peacetime events, so the two do not compare directly.

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South Korea air force losses, crashes & deliveries

  1. SEP 222026 KF-21 Delivered ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท First production KF-21 flown from KAI Sacheon to Yecheon and handed to the 156th Fighter Squadron, 16th Fighter Wing.
  2. APR 12026 2× S-70/MH-60R/UH-60P Delivered ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Two more MH-60R Seahawks formally accepted by the ROK Navy for the 62nd Maritime Helicopter Group at Jinhae.
  3. FEB 252026 F-16C Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท F-16C crashed in mountains near Yeongju during night training; pilot ejected safely.
  4. FEB 92026 AH-1J/S Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Crashed during emergency procedure training in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province; both pilots killed.
  5. JAN 22026 T-50/B Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท T-50B overturned during emergency landing at Gwangju AB after anti-skid system failure caused tire blowout; both pilots uninjured.
  6. SEP 232025 F-16C Damaged ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Single-seat KF-16 went off the runway at Chungju air base while preparing to take off for training; no casualties, the Air Force said.
  7. JUN 262025 20× KF-21 Ordered ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Second KF-21 Block I production contract for 20 aircraft (2.4 trillion won) signed with KAI, taking firm orders to 40.
  8. JUN 102025 F-16D Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท F-16D failed to lift off on a Red Flag-Alaska departure, skidded off Eielsonโ€™s runway and burned.
  9. MAY 292025 P-3C/CK Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท P-3 Orion crashed near Pohang; all four occupants killed.
  10. MAR 172025 Surion KUH-1 Destroyed ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท KUH-1 Surion destroyed on the ground at Yangju after a Heron reconnaissance drone crashed into it.
  11. MAR 172025 Heron Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Heron struck a parked KUH-1 Surion while landing at the Army airfield in Yangju; both aircraft destroyed by fire, no casualties.
  12. JUN 252024 20× KF-21 Ordered ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท First KF-21 production contract: 20 Block I fighters for 1.96 trillion won, deliveries from late 2026 to August 2027.
  13. JUN 72024 24× F-4E Retired ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท F-4E Phantom II formally decommissioned at Suwon Air Base after 55 years of South Korean service.
  14. DEC 82023 20× F-35A Ordered ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท South Korea signed a letter of acceptance for 20 additional F-35A fighters, with deliveries planned from 2027.
  15. SEP 212023 F-16C Crash ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea ยท Crashed at Seosan Air Base shortly after takeoff; the pilot ejected safely before the fighter came down.