US troops to deploy 24 Apache helicopters in S. Korea

By Park Sae-jin Posted : January 9, 2017, 15:28 Updated : January 9, 2017, 15:28
 

[Yonhap News Photo]


A battalion of 24 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters will be deployed in South Korea next month in a demonstration of strong US security commitments as military tensions spiked over North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 Apache helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, US and South Korean troops said in a joint statement.

US Army Colonel Rob Manning said some 360 US soldiers would come together with the Apache battalion. Some 28,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea under a mutual defense pact.

"The rotational deployment of the Apache helicopters is a demonstration of strong U.S. will in implementing its security commitments and will significantly strengthen the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture and capabilities," Manning said.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Pyongyang has reached the final stage of preparation to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach the United States.

On Sunday, the North said Pyongyang has already developed standardized nuclear warheads and could test-launch an ICBM at any time from any place of its choosing.

In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter vowed to shoot down any North Korean missile that flies toward the United States or its allies.

"If it were coming, if it were threatening to us, yes. That is, if it's predicted impact or one of our friends or allies, yes, we would shoot it down," Carter said, describing the North's nuclear and missile programs as a "serious" threat.

Last year, South Korea received the first batch of four AH-64E Apache Guardians for deployment at front-line army units to enhance deterrence capabilities against North Korean tanks and artillery.  South Korea has signed a $1.6 billion contract to buy 36 AH-64Es, an upgraded model of the AH-64D Longbow.
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