In brief
South Korean Air Force officials said the branch would join the U.S. Space Force’s newly launched tabletop exercise 'Partner to Win' from Monday through Friday in Florida. The war game brings together nations such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Brazil and the United States to enhance joint space operational readiness. The move marks Seoul’s first foray into multinational space drills and signals a push to expand space cooperation with allies.
The South Korean Air Force will take part in a U.S.-led multinational space war game in Florida this week, the branch’s officials said on Monday, marking its first participation in such a joint mission.
Partner to Win
Dubbed “Partner to Win,” the tabletop exercise was launched by the U.S. Space Force earlier this year and aims to strengthen joint operational capabilities in space and improve coordination with partner countries on policy and strategy.
The war game will run from Monday through Friday local time, with delegation teams from South Korea, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, and Brazil discussing response measures to simulated complex space crises.
Participants will convene in a board‑room setting, moving through scenario‑based discussion rather than live simulation, the officials explained.
By taking part in the exercise, Seoul hopes to broaden its cooperation in the space sector with allies and secure a foothold in leading multinational joint space missions in the future.
Earlier in the year, South Korean and U.S. fighter jets performed joint flights during the Freedom Flag exercise, focusing on counter‑air and air interdiction missions and enhancing wartime joint operations.
The inclusion of space as a domain mirrors this pattern of deeper collaboration, the Air Force said, and signals a growing recognition of space’s strategic importance by South Korea.
Officials noted that the tabletop format allows partners to explore how to coordinate responses to space‑borne threats and to refine joint operating procedures before potential real‑world deployments.
While the exercise is a new experience for the South Korean Air Force, the country’s broader defense strategy increasingly incorporates space‑related equipment and capabilities, the officials said, strengthening their readiness in a rapidly evolving theater.
