Two South Korea pilots feared dead in fighter crash
A South Korean military fighter jet crashed on 5 April, apparently killing both pilots on board, a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) spokesman said.
The F-15K Slam Eagle went down in the southern county of Chilgok, in North Gyeongsang province, on its way back to the Daegu Air Base after an hour-long mission.
‘Bodies were found and we are checking their ID but both pilots are feared dead,’ the spokesman told AFP.
No ground damage was reported, he said.
The last crash involving a South Korean F-15K fighter was in 2006 when it fell into the Sea of Japan during a nighttime mission, killing both pilots.
In 2017, an F-16D fighter crashed in North Gyeongsang but its two pilots ejected to safety.
The ROKAF first introduced the F-15K, made by Boeing, in 2005. It operates more than 60 F-15Ks.
More from Defence Notes
-
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
-
Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny
Governments worldwide are scrambling to decouple defence supply chains from dependency upon strategic rivals, but countries could struggle to do it all themselves.
-
How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces
Saab has outlined how it is using artificial intelligence to make training more like electronic gaming, while the UK’s Power Size Technologies is applying the same technology to better evaluate and design vehicle capability, moving AI-enabled innovation further upstream from the frontline.
-
From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)
Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at Rheinmetall, explains how Eurosatory 2026 marked a new stage in the company's evolution.
-
US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system
The US Department of Defense has requested new contracting authorities from Congress, using the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne programme to demonstrate how competition, digital engineering and closer industry collaboration could accelerate acquisitions.