ID :
40726
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 20:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/40726
The shortlink copeid
(Yonhap Interview) U.S. commander in S. Korea vows to step up allied strength against N. Korea
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. commander in South Korea pledged
Wednesday to bolster the capabilities of his troops in line with the expanding
strength of the South Korean military.
Gen. Walter Sharp of the U.S. Forces Korea also expressed confidence that a dozen
F-16s, which are set to be deployed to South Korea to replace half of the U.S.
Apache helicopters now in use, will consolidate the joint combat readiness of the
two allies against North Korea.
"North Korea understands the capabilities of F-16s, and as far as the deterrence
capability, I think it's pretty clear we're going to maintain the capabilities
that we need here on the peninsula," Sharp said in an interview with Yonhap News
Agency.
The U.S. said this week it has decided to deploy F-16s instead of A-10 "tank
killers" to replace 24 AH-64 Apaches scheduled to return to the U.S. in March for
future redeployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The U.S. cited the need to repair cracks that have recently been discovered on
some of its A-10s, but the announcement raised questions here on whether
multi-role F-16s can substitute for air-to-ground attack aircraft.
"We took a look at the inspections that have to go on with the A-10s. We said we
need to make sure we've got some aircraft that are absolutely capable over this
period of time," Sharp said, speaking on the sidelines of a U.S.-South Korea
friendship meeting in Seoul.
"The Air Force said the best one is the F-16, and I'm confident that is the best
and will satisfy the need," he said.
Adding the decision "shows the commitment of the United States to make sure we've
got capabilities here that we needed," Sharp said his country will reinvigorate
its strength here as South Korea grows in armed power.
"As the Korean military increases its capabilities, we're going to match it with
what we need in order to be able to overall have increased capabilities," he
said. "We're not going to reduce the capabilities."
Describing the deployment of additional F-16s as "the right thing," Sharp said he
is pleased that the fighters may also help tighten the joint training
capabilities of the two countries.
"The other thing it will do is we'll be able to do a lot more training with the
ROK military. So I'm very confident about that," he said. ROK stands for the
Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53
Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a full peace pact. Washington, which
has retained wartime operational command of South Korean troops since the war,
plans to return control to Seoul in 2012. South Korea has 660,000 troops and is
seeking to refurbish its own defense capabilities to accommodate the changes.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. commander in South Korea pledged
Wednesday to bolster the capabilities of his troops in line with the expanding
strength of the South Korean military.
Gen. Walter Sharp of the U.S. Forces Korea also expressed confidence that a dozen
F-16s, which are set to be deployed to South Korea to replace half of the U.S.
Apache helicopters now in use, will consolidate the joint combat readiness of the
two allies against North Korea.
"North Korea understands the capabilities of F-16s, and as far as the deterrence
capability, I think it's pretty clear we're going to maintain the capabilities
that we need here on the peninsula," Sharp said in an interview with Yonhap News
Agency.
The U.S. said this week it has decided to deploy F-16s instead of A-10 "tank
killers" to replace 24 AH-64 Apaches scheduled to return to the U.S. in March for
future redeployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The U.S. cited the need to repair cracks that have recently been discovered on
some of its A-10s, but the announcement raised questions here on whether
multi-role F-16s can substitute for air-to-ground attack aircraft.
"We took a look at the inspections that have to go on with the A-10s. We said we
need to make sure we've got some aircraft that are absolutely capable over this
period of time," Sharp said, speaking on the sidelines of a U.S.-South Korea
friendship meeting in Seoul.
"The Air Force said the best one is the F-16, and I'm confident that is the best
and will satisfy the need," he said.
Adding the decision "shows the commitment of the United States to make sure we've
got capabilities here that we needed," Sharp said his country will reinvigorate
its strength here as South Korea grows in armed power.
"As the Korean military increases its capabilities, we're going to match it with
what we need in order to be able to overall have increased capabilities," he
said. "We're not going to reduce the capabilities."
Describing the deployment of additional F-16s as "the right thing," Sharp said he
is pleased that the fighters may also help tighten the joint training
capabilities of the two countries.
"The other thing it will do is we'll be able to do a lot more training with the
ROK military. So I'm very confident about that," he said. ROK stands for the
Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53
Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a full peace pact. Washington, which
has retained wartime operational command of South Korean troops since the war,
plans to return control to Seoul in 2012. South Korea has 660,000 troops and is
seeking to refurbish its own defense capabilities to accommodate the changes.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
