US to substitute multi-task fighters for tank-hunting helicopters in S. Korea

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS comments, details, background throughout; TRIMS)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- The United States said Tuesday it will replace half of
its tank-fighting Apache helicopters in South Korea with F-16 multi-role
fighters, expressing confidence that the jets will provide an equally strong war
deterrent against North Korea.

The announcement at the defense ministry in Seoul came after South Korea said
last year that the U.S. would introduce a dozen A-10 jets, nicknamed "tank
killers," to replace a single battalion of 24 AH-64 Apache Longbows that are to
be redeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
"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 name.
Chandler cited the need to have the A-10s repaired, and stressed that the F-16 --
the world's most heavily deployed aircraft best known for its agility in aerial
combat -- can be a superb substitute in supporting ground units.
"Both the A-10 and the F-16 are exceptional aircraft in air-to-ground missions. I
can personally attest to that because I've flown both," he said,
"It'd be difficult, like choosing a particular son or daughter over another," to
pick a better performer in a specific air-to-ground mission, he added.
The last-minute switch took place amid concerns in Seoul that the relocation of
air-to-ground attack helicopters out of South Korea in March this year would
reduce the American military presence here.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53
Korean War, which ended in a ceasefire. The leaders of the two allies said last
year that Washington will remain committed to maintaining its war deterrence
capability here against Pyongyang.
Cho Young-kil, South Korea's defense minister from 2003-2004, said the U.S.
argument for the replacement of Apaches with F-16s is "not very convincing."
"The bottom line is that half the Apaches are leaving the country," he said by
phone, contending that the replacement will only have the effect of increasing
F-16s here. The U.S. already operates two dozen F-16s in South Korea.
Cho argued the decades-old alliance between Seoul and Washington has deteriorated
over the years, and that Tuesday's announcement backs his belief.
South Korea is set to regain wartime operational control of its troops from the
U.S. by 2012. Control was given to the U.S. during the Korean War, and its
transfer remains a subject of criticism among South Koreans who fear a weakened
Seoul-Washington joint deterrence against Pyongyang.
An official at the state-funded Korea Institute for Military Affairs admitted the
withdrawal of Apaches halves the effectiveness of their air-to-ground missions
here, but suggested F-16s can help to broaden the overall effectiveness of joint
operations.
"If we look at the overall picture, F-16s contribute to the increased strength of
our joint defense, especially in aerial combat," the official said, declining to
be identified.
The Ministry of National Defense in Seoul said the F-16s will arrive in South
Korea before the departure of the Apache battalion to prevent a gap in defense
readiness.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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