S. Korea may import U.S. spy planes by 2015: source

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea could purchase the "Global Hawk" aircraft from the United States as early as 2015, as Washington has recently offered to sell some of the high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance airplanes, a source here said Friday.

The planes, which can fly up to 3,000 kilometers and zoom in on a ground target
just 0.3 meters large, could be used to step up reconnaissance missions over
North Korea.
In their high-level military talks on May 14, the U.S. said it was willing to
sell some of its Global Hawks to South Korea, which plans to introduce unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) between 2015-2016, the source said.
"The U.S. decided to sell Global Hawks as we repeatedly requested the sales," the
South Korean source said, adding the U.S. has also asked South Korea to submit a
proposal for the purchase.
South Korea had initially sought to buy UAVs by 2011. Pressured by its weakening
currency, the country has recently postponed the plan.
"The U.S. decision to sell Global Hawks to South Korea attests to the trust built
in the alliance between the two countries," the source added.
The U.S. has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North
Korea as the two countries have one of the longest running military alliances in
the region.
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