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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Military vows to shoot down N. Korea rocket

Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force “Oosumi” carries PAC-3 missile interceptors as the amphibious assault ship sails through Seto Inland Sea off Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, Thursday, to prepare for a planned rocket launch by North Korea. Less than a month after its purported H-bomb test, North Korea announced Tuesday it is planning a rocket launch as soon as next week. / AP-YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Ministry of National Defense said Thursday that the military was ready to shoot down a North Korean rocket or its debris if they enter South Korean territory.“The military is strengthening its air defense posture to intercept the North Korean missile or its debris that could fall on our land or in our waters,” spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a press briefing. “In proportion to the level of the possible damage, South Korea will take action under its right of self-defense.”The military has put its Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-2 surface-to-air missiles into combat mode to guard against the possibility of a North Korean missile landing

Feb 4, 2016
Military vows to shoot down N. Korea rocket
  • Seoul's interception capability in question

Korean K1A1 and K2 tanks show their power

Korean K1A1 and K2 Black Panther tanks have demonstrated their powerful capabilities.The K1A1 is the upgraded third-generation version of the K1, also known as the “88 tank.”Made by Hyundai Rotem and deployed in 2001, the tank is designed to counter North Korea’s T-72 tanks. The K1A1 uses a 120-millimeter smoothbore gun, which has a range of three kilometers. Almost all the 500 K1A1 tanks are deployed in Korea.  The 3.5 generation K2, also known as the Black Panther, uses a 120-millimeter, 55-caliber smoothbore gun.It’s C4I (command, control, computers and intelligence) network system means the tank does almost everything automatically.It also has a superior defense mechanism than the original K1A1.The Korean Army has 100 K2 tanks deployed and has 100 on order. 

Feb 4, 2016
Korean K1A1 and K2 tanks show their power

Military plane crash near Andong

 A military aircraft crashed into a river near Andong on South Korea's southeastern coast, local authorities said Thursday.Rescue teams and firefighters said that two crew members of the stricken plane escaped and are safe.The T-11 biplane crashed around 12:05 p.m. near the Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-industry. The crash was only a few hundred meters away from a village.The two air force pilots were on their way back to the base in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, after flight duty, according to authorities.The ill-fated plane was not critically damaged and there was no fuel spill due to the emergency landing, authorities said. They said engine problems may have caused the plane to fall from the sky, although the exact reason for the mishap needs to be identified.In June 2015, the same type of aircraft made an emergency landing in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province, some 174 kilometers south of Seoul. Out of three crew members, one was wounded in the leg and rushed to a nearby hospital. (Yonhap)

Feb 4, 2016

Air Force in war simulation exercise

The Air Force said Wednesday it is carrying out a biannual war simulation exercise involving combat pilots and a fleet of main battle aircraft.The first round of this year's Soaring Eagle exercise kicked off on Jan. 29 and will run through Friday to train combat pilots under virtual war situations, according to the Air Force.Some 50 combat jets including the F-15K, KF-16, FA-50, F-4E and F-5 are participating in the drill, along with 370 Air Force troops including 102 combat pilots, the Air Force said.The main part of the training involves simulated ground-to-air artillery attacks by North Korea as well as simulated infiltrations of North Korean drones against which a group of South Korean fighter jets must make an emergency sortie.The pilots also were trained under a scenario in which they detected, intercepted and bombed North Korean fighter jets, according to the Air Force.South Korea's military is on alert as North Korea is gearing up for a long-range missile test following its defiant nuclear test conducted on Jan. 6.South Korea's deputy chief of the presidential office of natio

Feb 3, 2016

NK rocket test is to hit any city in US mainland

By Yi Whan-wooIt is believed that North Korea may launch a rocket with a range of 13,000 kilometers during its purported satellite launch scheduled for later this month, according to analysts and officials, Wednesday.It will likely be a three-stage rocket capable of carrying a satellite weighing up to one ton. If the test succeeds, North Korea could load a nuclear warhead onto the rocket that could theoretically hit a city on the U.S. mainland.It remains to be seen whether the rocket can withstand heat of up to 7,000 degrees Celsius caused if it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after making it into outer space.The re-entry phase of a rocket to the Earth’s atmosphere is essential as part of the inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) technologies that Pyongyang has pursued.It is also questionable whether North Korea’s ICBM can hit a targeted area, most likely one on the U.S. mainland, even after it successfully re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.“It’s convincing to say that North Korea will fire a rocket that has longer travel distance than the Unh

Feb 3, 2016

U.S. Navy prepares to unveil new laser weapons

Laser weapons, once thought only to exist in science fiction, are now part of modern warfare scenarios.The U.S. navy held a new-weapons test in December 2014, and footage of the cutting-edge weapons deployed on the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf has been revealed to the public.During the test, the laser weapon system (LaWs) hits a buoy, a moving target on top of a speeding small boat and a drone.The navy is more excited about the cost of the weapons, since it can fortify ship defenses at a dollar per shot using existing battery packs.U.S. navy experts expect the weapons to be deployed no later than the mid-2020s and change the face of warfare.But there are many criticisms about the result of the project. Many experts involved claim that the power of the laser and its efficiency are too low considering the amount invested in the project.“Although useful, they are not yet at the point where they would replace guns,” said Paul Scharre, director of the 20YY Warfare Initiative at the Center for a New American Security. 

Feb 3, 2016
U.S. Navy prepares to unveil new laser weapons

US troops in Korea focusing on deterring North Korean threats: new commander

American troops stationed in South Korea are fully committed to deterring aggression and provocations from North Korea, the new commander of the United States' Eighth Army here said Tuesday, vowing efforts to toughen joint combat readiness between the allies."From its establishment, Eighth Army's mission has been to protect and defend freedom and democracy," Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal said as he assumed his position as the commander of the Eighth Army, the backbone of U.S. Forces Korea."We will be standing side by side with our Republic of Korea counterparts until our mission is complete," he said.Vandal replaced the outgoing commander of the Eighth Army, Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux, in a change of command ceremony earlier in the day held at the USFK base in Yongsan, central Seoul, which was attended by USFK Commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert and other key former and incumbent military officials from both countries.With his new role, Vandal also assumed the position as the chief of staff for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and USFK.A gr

Feb 2, 2016

Russia alarmed by S. Korea-U.S. contacts over THAAD: ambassador

Russia is opposed to the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea because it could destabilize the region's security landscape, Moscow's top envoy to Seoul said Tuesday.The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, has been a source of renewed controversy in Northeast Asia as South Korea is seen as moving to introduce it in response to North Korea's recent nuclear test. Russia and China have expressed strong opposition to the idea, anxious about an even greater U.S. military presence in the region."This issue is drawing a lot of attention in Russia," Ambassador Alexander Timonin said during a meeting with reporters at the embassy. "We are paying close attention to the increased contacts over the issue between relevant organizations of the U.S. and the Republic of Korea."Washington is seeking to deploy a THAAD battery to South Korea, saying it is necessary to better shield its 27,000 troops in the country from North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations. Both Seoul and Washington, however, have repeatedly denied that formal talks are under wa

Feb 2, 2016

Two Chinese military jets intruded into S. Korea's air defense zone: JCS

Two Chinese military planes recently entered the overlapping air defense identification zone of South Korea and China, prompting South Korea to ready a sortie of fighter jets, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Tuesday.The Chinese jets entered the zone near Jeju Island on Sunday and flew out of it after South Korea sent a warning message, according to JCS spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu."We took necessary surveillance and tactical measures adequately," he said.The ministry put fighter jets on standby in case the Chinese planes intruded into South Korean territory, he added.The incident occurred amid a burgeoning stand-off between the Northeast Asian neighbors over the possibility that Seoul will introduce the advanced U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.The Pentagon wants to deploy the THAAD unit on the peninsula, citing North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.But China is fiercely opposed to the plan, saying it is apparently aimed at curbing China's military influence.In 2013, South Korea expanded its own air defense identification zone, called KADIZ, to cover Ieodo, a

Feb 2, 2016

Korea says THAAD 'helpful' to security

Beijing cautions against Seoul's moveBy Yi Whan-wooThe government said Friday that the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system will help boost Korea’s national security and defense if it is deployed here by the United States.Seoul and Washington are likely to start negotiations soon over whether to deploy the advanced missile defense system to better counter North Korea’s threats.“We’re reviewing the technical elements of THAAD, including its tactical efficiency, on a working-level,” defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters. “We’ve been considering all possible means to defend the country against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats.”China expressed concerns about Korea’s move.“We hope that a related nation (South Korea) will deal with the case prudently,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. “A nation should take security of other countries into account when considering its own security.”Kim’s comment came after President Park Geun-hye and Defe

Jan 29, 2016
Korea says THAAD 'helpful' to security
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