By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The U.S. military will temporarily deploy 12 F-16 fighter jets instead of the previously announced A-10 jet rotation to South Korea to replace departing Apache Longbow attack helicopters, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Tuesday.
The change in the type of replacement aircraft comes as requirements for inspections and repairs to the A-10 fleet have increased, they said.
``The U.S. Air Force is committed to make sure every airplane we put in the air is safe to fly for our pilots. The A-10s will need to be inspected to make sure they are safe to fly,'' Col. Mike Chandler, chief of staff of the seventh U.S. Air Force here, told reporters at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul.
Chandler said maintenance requirements mainly deal with structural problems with A-10 models, adding it would take a year to repair all A-10 assets.
The 12 F-16s will be deployed for six months until September, he added.
In a press release, USFK Commander Gen. Walter Sharp said, ``The F-16's combat-proven record is well known and will provide an enhanced deterrent capability on the Korean Peninsula."
The deployment also increases South Korea-U.S. training opportunities, which further strengthen Combined Forces Command's ability to defeat any North Korean aggression, he said.
Despite USFK's explanations, however, critics say the flip-flop over the replacement of an Apache battalion, which will be moved out of the peninsula in March for rotational support in the global war on terror, could cause a security vacuum due to different mission capabilities between Apaches and F-16s.
U.S. Apache helicopters' main mission is to deter North Korea's armored units near the Demilitarized Zone in case of an emergency on the peninsula. The A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, nicknamed ``tank killer,'' is known to have anti-tank capabilities as good as those of the Apache, but there is a question mark over the effectiveness of F-16's anti-tank operations, experts say.
Chandler reiterated the multi-role F-16 fighter will successfully replace the Apache fleet and ensure no gap in capability exists as the realignment occurs.
``The F-16 is capable of conducting a broad range of missions, including close air support, precision strike and counter-air. It provides added capability in targeting, precision munitions, detection, and defensive measures,'' said the colonel.
He added that the U.S. remains committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea and will ensure the required capabilities are deployed on and around the peninsula.
On Nov. 16, the USFK announced the 1-2 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion stationed at Camp Eagle, some 145 kilometers east of Seoul, was being relocated to Fort Carson, Colorado, in March, in order to make the unit available for rotational deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan this fall.
The battalion operates 24 up-to-date AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters. There is a second Apache battalion with the same capacity at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul.
The USFK also pledged to deploy two MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters capable of airborne sweeps and mine destruction from Japan's Iwakuni, along with added U2 reconnaissance capability at Osan Air Base near Camp Humphreys this year.
The Apache, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and Hydra 70 laser-guided rockets, are crucial assets for the defense of South Korea, as their main missions are to help prevent North Korean special forces from infiltrating the South by sea and neutralize North Korean army's armored units crossing the military demarcation line in case of war.
The USFK currently operates two Apache battalions, two F-16 squadrons and 27 A-10 jets.