ID :
61748
Thu, 05/21/2009 - 21:04
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/61748
The shortlink copeid
Korean chopper may face anti-aircraft attack by Somali pirates
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy helicopter operating in Somali
waters will be reinforced with defensive technology to protect itself against
anti-aircraft missiles because pirates may use them in the future, officials said
Thursday.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul, the U.S.-led multinational
command in the region is investigating rumors that Stinger missiles have fallen
in the hands of Somali pirates.
The portable infra-red homing weapons can hit airborne targets as far away as 5
kilometers. JCS officials said the Linx helicopter South Korea operates along
with a destroyer in the Gulf of Aden currently lacks equipment that can address
such threats.
"The chopper should now have equipment that enables it to operate effectively at
a distance," an official said.
Flares that can help divert incoming missiles are being considered as part of the
reinforcement along with a pair of binoculars capable of seeing as far away as 25
kilometers, he said.
The 300-strong South Korean unit, Cheonghae, arrived in the Somali waters early
last month and has since driven away suspected pirates four times by deploying
the anti-submarine helicopter.
The chopper approaches boats suspected of harboring potential pirates and
threatens to fire, a standard procedure action that also puts its crew, including
sharpshooters, in danger of anti-air rockets.
The Munmu the Great destroyer was deployed mainly to protect South Korean vessels
in the region where over 110 pirate-related incidents took place last year, a
five-fold jump from two years earlier.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the route each year, according to the
South Korean defense ministry, which estimates 150 are vulnerable to pirate
attacks because of their low speed.
Somalia has not had a functional government since its dictator was overthrown by
warlords in 1991. Poverty has driven a large number of locals to piracy, while
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy helicopter operating in Somali
waters will be reinforced with defensive technology to protect itself against
anti-aircraft missiles because pirates may use them in the future, officials said
Thursday.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul, the U.S.-led multinational
command in the region is investigating rumors that Stinger missiles have fallen
in the hands of Somali pirates.
The portable infra-red homing weapons can hit airborne targets as far away as 5
kilometers. JCS officials said the Linx helicopter South Korea operates along
with a destroyer in the Gulf of Aden currently lacks equipment that can address
such threats.
"The chopper should now have equipment that enables it to operate effectively at
a distance," an official said.
Flares that can help divert incoming missiles are being considered as part of the
reinforcement along with a pair of binoculars capable of seeing as far away as 25
kilometers, he said.
The 300-strong South Korean unit, Cheonghae, arrived in the Somali waters early
last month and has since driven away suspected pirates four times by deploying
the anti-submarine helicopter.
The chopper approaches boats suspected of harboring potential pirates and
threatens to fire, a standard procedure action that also puts its crew, including
sharpshooters, in danger of anti-air rockets.
The Munmu the Great destroyer was deployed mainly to protect South Korean vessels
in the region where over 110 pirate-related incidents took place last year, a
five-fold jump from two years earlier.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the route each year, according to the
South Korean defense ministry, which estimates 150 are vulnerable to pirate
attacks because of their low speed.
Somalia has not had a functional government since its dictator was overthrown by
warlords in 1991. Poverty has driven a large number of locals to piracy, while
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
