US to substitute multirole jets for attack helicopters in S. Korea

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- The United States said Tuesday it will replace half of
its tank-fighting Apache helicopters here with F-16 multirole fighters,
expressing confidence the jets would provide an equal war deterrent against North
Korea.
The announcement at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul came after South
Korean officials said last year the U.S. would replace a single battalion of 24
AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopters with a dozen A-10 jets, better known as "tank
killers."
"In consultation with the ROK government, the U.S. Department of Defense has
decided to deploy F-16s instead of A-10s," Col. Mike Chandler, chief of staff at
the U.S. 7th Air Force, said. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's
official title.
The last-minute change came as concerns grew here that the redeployment of attack
helicopters to Iraq or Afghanistan would lead to a reduction in the U.S. military
presence here.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53
Korean War, and the leaders of the two countries agreed last year Washington will
remain committed to maintaining its defense capability here against Pyongyang.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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