South Korea's F-35A stealth fighter jet takes off from an air base at 17th Fighter Wing in North Chungcheong Province, in this photo provided by Republic of Korea Air Force, Oct. 25. Yonhap

The military has launched early-stage preparations to assign its fleet of F-35A stealth fighters in different air bases across the nation, officials said Monday, in a move meant to enhance their survivability amid North Korean threats.

Under the plan, the military is expected to assign a new batch of 20 stealth fighters, set to arrive in South Korea as early as 2026, in another location from where the existing stealth fighters are located, according to the officials.

South Korea currently maintains 39 F-35A stealth fighters, delivered in 2019, at the 17th Fighter Wing in Cheongju, 112 kilometers south of Seoul. The country initially purchased 40 F-35As but retired one damaged by a bird strike.

The military did not disclose where the new batch of stealth fighters will be assigned to, citing operational security.

In a statement, the Air Force said it will assign the new batch of F-35As to "effectively" defend the nation, without elaborating.

The plan is seen as part of efforts to more effectively operate the advanced fighters and respond to military threats from North Korea, which has conducted multiple drills potentially targeting air bases in South Korea.

In February last year, North Korea said its short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Sukchon area in South Phyongan Province flew 395km and 337 km, respectively, putting the air base in Cheongju within range.

The following month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected an exercise at a unit charged with striking the "enemy's operation airport in the direction of the western front," implying the drills were aimed at striking the South's military airfields in case of a war.

The F-35A is a key asset for the South Korean military due to its high-performance radar and stealth capabilities, enabling it to carry out long-range strategic strikes without being noticed by the enemy.

They are part of the country's Kill Chain preemptive strike system, a pillar of its three-pronged deterrence program against the North's nuclear and missile threats. (Yonhap)