SOUTH KOREA: U.S. and South Korean Air Forces team up for their combined air operations, amid North's series of provocations threatening the regional security

Record ID: 522296

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: U.S. and South Korean Air Forces team up for their combined air operations, amid North's series of provocations threatening the regional security
  • Date: 16th April 2009
  • Summary: OSAN, SOUTH KOREA (APRIL 14, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.S. AND SOUTH KOREAN FIGHTERS VARIOUS OF MAINTAINERS CHECKING FIGHTERS BEFORE TAKING OFF RADAR MOVING AT CONTROL CENTRE FIGHTERS TAKING OFF AND FLYING U.S. FIGHTER A-10 FLYING U.S. COLONEL WALKING IN BRIEFING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. COLONEL MICHAEL E. NEWMAN, U.S. AIR FORCE OF 51 OPERATION GROUP COMMANDER,
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA70E76OAWVK5HK1OR5PODI7R1V
  • Story Text: U.S. and South Korean Air Forces team up for their combined air operations, amid North's series of provocations threatening the regional security.
    U.S. and South Korean Air Forces teamed up on Tuesday (April 14) for their combined air operations, amid the North's series of provocations threatening the regional security.
    In Osan Air Base, about 54 kilometres (33.5 miles) south of Seoul, maintainers and support personnel from the two countries participated in the Buddy Wing Program, which introduces tactics and combined operations, to improve interoperability.

    "They are close-air-support - primarily is their mission.
    Twenty-fifth fighter squadron, flying A-10s are primarily a close-air-support mission," said U.S. colonel Michael E. Newman, 51 Operation Group Commander of U.S. Air Force.
    Four U.S. A-10s and two South Korean KA-1 aircrafts were mobilized during the exercise after soldiers underwent academic sessions and briefings.
    The combined Air Forces said the exercise was conducted in order to ensure battle-readiness.
    Meanwhile, North Korea said on Tuesday it would re-start its plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium and it would stay away from international nuclear disarmament talks after the U.N. chastised it for launching a long-range rocket.
    The U.N. Security Council on Monday (April 13) unanimously condemned North Korea's launch nearly two weeks ago as contravening a U.N. ban, and demanded enforcement of existing sanctions against Pyongyang.
    Prickly North Korea said in a Foreign Ministry statement the U.N.
    action and separate six-country nuclear talks were an infringement of its sovereignty and it will never participate in the talks.
    North Korea began taking apart its Soviet-era Yongbyon nuclear plant more than a year ago as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal it reached with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
    ENDS.
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