US-S Korea air defence drill prepares invasion of DPRK-Rodong Sinmun.

19/10 Tass 102

PYONGYANG, October 19 (Itar-Tass) - The aim of another air defence
manoeuvres the US and South Korea's armed forced launched on Friday is to
"prepare at any cost for invasion of the DPRK," says an article published
on Tuesday by the Democratic People Republic of Korea's leading newspaper
Rodong Sinmun. The publication says that "the warmongers" are again using
as a pretext the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in the
Yellow Sea in late March to which "Pyongyang has no relation whatsoever."
As a result, in the view of the newspaper, it causes no doubt that the
"current conservative authorities in Seoul are not interested in the
improvement of the inter-Korean relations." Their main goal is to
"escalate tension on the Korean Peninsula," it is stressed in the article.
The Rodong Sinmun warned that the Seoul administration should "abandon
such provocation policy and not to bring the North-South relations to the
extreme line."
According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, South Korea and the
United States kicked off a regular air force training exercise to increase
interoperability among airmen of the two allies, the South's Air Force
said. About 50 fighter jets, including F-15Ks and KF-16s from South Korea
as well as F-16 Fighting Falcons and KC-135 Stratotankers from the US, are
taking part in the eight-day drill that started Friday, the Air Force said
in a statement. More than 250 pilots from the allies are mobilised for the
drill, named "Max Thunder," to be staged over the western airspace of the
Korean Peninsula, according to the statement. "This air readiness exercise
is aimed at allowing airmen to practice their war-fighting skills in
realistic combat situations," the statement said.
In particular, this year's exercise focuses on deterring and defeating
a potential air strike from North Korea, following the March 26 sinking of
the Cheonan warship blamed on the communist country, Air Force officials
said. North Korea denies any responsibility in the sinking that claimed
the lives of 46 sailors.
"Throughout the exercise, the allies' air forces plan to test their
ability to immediately counter enemy's provocations in line with the rules
of engagement," said an official at the Air Force. The exercise is also
partly aimed at preparing the joint forces for a larger joint exercise,
the annual Red Flag Nellis, according to the statement. Currently, some
28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent to threats
from North Korea.
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