SEOUL (AFP) Jul 02, 2004
South Korea is seeking to acquire 40 more US-made F-15K fighter jets to build up its defence posture following the announcement of a plan to reduce US forces stationed here, a news report said Friday.
The Joongang daily quoted a senior Air Force official as saying the government wanted 40 more F-15Ks from Boeing in addition to the 40 Seoul agreed to purchase by 2008 for some 3.7 billion dollars.
But a defense ministry official in charge of defense procurement told AFP the government had no firm plans beyond the current purchasing program known as the “FX Project.”
“We will be able to consider launching the second FX project after 2009 if we secure sufficient government funding, or the defense budget reaches 3.2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product),” said Major General Won Jang-Hwan.
South Korea’s current defense spending of 18.9 trillion won represents 2.7 percent of GDP.
The Joongang daily quoted the Air Force official as saying the new planes were required to carry smart bombs which could destroy North Korea’s long-range artillery pieces dug into caves and bunkers along the border in case of a war.
The F-15Ks can carry three Bunker Busters and seven to 12 JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) that could knock out some 600 North Korean artillery pieces in the early stages of a war, the official said.
Washington, facing immediate pressure for fresh troops for duty in Iraq, said 12,500 troops out of its 37,000-strong military contingent here would be redeployed within 18 months. Seoul wants the deadline pushed back.
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July 2, 2004 at 5:57 am