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Korean military aircraft receives logistical support from Japanese counterpart for first time

Published: 28 Jan. 2026, 19:12

A C-130 transport aircraft refueling with support from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force after landing at Naha Air Base in Japan on Jan. 28. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE]

The Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team refueled at Japan’s Naha Air Base in Okinawa on Wednesday, marking the first time the Japan Air Self-Defense Force has supported a Korean military aircraft in this way, according to reports from Japanese media, including the Yomiuri Shimbun.

The Black Eagles departed from the Wonju air force base earlier that day and landed at Naha at around 10 a.m.

Japanese State Minister of Defense Masahisa Miyazaki said the stopover held “great symbolic significance.”

“Amid increasingly severe security conditions surrounding our country, defense cooperation between Japan and Korea is extremely important,” he said.

The Black Eagles are en route to Saudi Arabia to participate in the World Defense Show 2026, scheduled for Feb. 2, and will make additional stops in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Oman along the way.

A formation of Black Eagles T-50B jets lands at Naha Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, on Jan. 28. The base serves as a stopover on the Black Eagles' route to the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE]

The Black Eagles’ previous attempt to gain the Japanese air force’s midair refueling support fell through last November. Japan had initially planned to assist the Black Eagles as they traveled to the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates but canceled the plan after it was revealed that one of the T-50B jets had recently conducted routine training near Dokdo.

The latest stopover was made possible after Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi held a phone call on Dec. 26, 2025. A diplomatic note requesting airspace access and refueling support was sent on Jan. 5.

The Yomiuri Shimbun described the refueling as a step toward deeper defense cooperation, reporting that Japan hopes to formalize the relationship through a bilateral Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). If signed, the ACSA would allow Japanese and Korean forces to provide each other with fuel, food and other logistical support more easily and flexibly.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]