OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- U.S. Airmen, U.S. Soldiers, U.S. Marines and Republic of Korea Air Force personnel came together for EXERCISE DRAGON FLIGHT, an inaugural readiness event designed to locate, detect and track a Group 3 unmanned aircraft system in Osan airspace at Osan Air Base, ROK, Aug. 2-6, 2026.

The exercise marked the first time a Group 3 UAS operated in Osan airspace, allowing participating agencies to rehearse detection, tracking, cueing, reporting and notional engagement procedures against a larger and more capable class of unmanned aircraft.

Contractors from Griffon Aerospace launched and operated the Outlaw Drone as a simulated hostile aircraft while each participating unit employed its respective counter-UAS equipment. Defenders from the 51st Security Forces Squadron operated the Expeditionary Mobile Air Defense Integrated System, Soldiers from the Army’s 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade employed the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger air defense system, and Marines from the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion trained with Stinger man-portable air defense systems and Smart Shooter SMASH optics. ROKAF personnel also participated using their own air defense equipment.

“This exercise helped all the involved agencies assess and validate their respective C-uAS defense systems,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Thu Le, 51st SFS plans and programs officer in charge. “I hope that this event gives the 51st Fighter Wing confidence in its current air defense capabilities and just shows how crucial such systems are to the defense of the base, its assets and all 16,000 joint-force personnel.”

Le served as the lead 51st SFS point of contact and maintained ground command and control during the exercise. She coordinated with the 51st Operations Support Squadron to secure the equipment, airspace and flight authorizations needed for contracted operators to fly the UAS over Osan.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Herndon, Echo Battery, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th ADA Brigade, 3rd Platoon sergeant, served as the Army air defense non-commissioned officer in charge and primary liaison for the drone operators. He also worked with the 51st SFS during planning to establish the training location and objectives.

“Group 3 drones are becoming more dangerous, inexpensive and easier to produce,” Herndon said. “Being able to detect and defeat these capabilities is extremely important to the welfare of our service members and the protection of military equipment.”

Beyond familiarizing younger Soldiers with Group 3 UAS identification and tracking procedures, EXERCISE DRAGON FLIGHT allowed the participating services to assess how their different systems and reporting processes could contribute to a layered defense of the installation.

Osan’s ability to defend against unmanned aircraft directly supports the 51st Fighter Wing’s sortie-generation mission. Protecting personnel, aircraft and other critical assets enables the wing to continue generating combat airpower while operating in a contested environment.

“Osan Air Base is an important location to hold in order to generate sorties for deterrence,” said U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Chi Vu, 2nd LAAD Battalion platoon commander. “This exercise brought different branches together to establish information-exchange requirements so Osan can be protected using a mix of air defense assets.”

Vu supervised his platoon’s integration and helped establish procedures for sharing information among the participating services. While the systems brought different capabilities to the exercise, the training helped personnel better understand how those capabilities could complement one another during a coordinated response.

“It increased the lethality of the participating units as a whole because we now better understand each other’s functions and how we can integrate as a team,” Vu said.

The inclusion of ROKAF counterparts expanded Dragon Flight from a joint U.S. training event into a combined effort reflecting the forces that would defend Osan together during contingency operations.

“This exercise embodies United States Forces Korea’s motto, ‘Katchi Kapshida,’ or ‘We go together,’” Le said. “If UAS attacks become a reality at Osan, the U.S. military and our ROKAF counterparts will be expected to defend the base, execute contingency operations and sustain the force alongside each other.”

By bringing multiple services, air defense systems and ROKAF counterparts into the same training environment, Exercise Dragon Flight established a foundation for future counter-UAS exercises and strengthened Osan’s ability to protect the personnel and assets responsible for generating combat airpower.

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