SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District and the U.S. Air Force broke ground on a facility that will house four flight simulators at Kunsan Air Base Aug. 22.
The Distributive Mission Training Flight Simulation Facility will allow pilots at Kunsan to be able to train with other U.S. Air Force pilots across the globe. This could also be utilized to incorporate allied and friendly forces into the training mission.
“The DMT flight simulator housed in this facility for the first time ever on the Korean peninsula will allow the Wolf Pack pilots to train with their brothers all across the world,” said Col. Scott L. Pleus, Commander of the 8th Fighter Wing.
The facility in which the simulator is housed will be built by FED. In attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony to recognize the importance of the project was Gen. Gary L. North, Commander of the Pacific Air Forces.
In 1973, the first F-16 fighter jet rolled off the assembly line as a multi- platform fighter aircraft. Since then a quantum leap in its capabilities has been realized.
“The jump in complexity of this aircraft has opened a gap in our ability to train pilots,” said Pleus. “The bottom line is no matter how complex an airplane is unless you have the proper training for the pilots it is completely useless.”
The DMT Flight Simulation Facility will provide high-tech training for today’s modern Air Force. At an estimated construction cost of about $7 million, the state-of-the-art facility will also be an economical way to bring 21st century training to Kunsan.
“In today’s budget constrained environment this technology will provide a cost effective way to train for combat at a fraction of the cost of actually flying this airplane,” said Pleus.
Remaining mission ready is critical in the Republic of Korea. Therefore, the simulator will allow pilots to train at anytime regardless of weather or airspace.
“The ultimate success for this project rests in the great partnership between Kunsan Air Base, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District, and Kumsung Construction Co.,” said Pleus. “Today’s groundbreaking is not only a commitment to Kunsan Air Base but also to the Korea- U.S. Alliance.”