[News Today] U.S. FIGHTER JETS IN SUWON

[LEAD]
The U.S. military recently temporarily deployed about 30 F-16 fighter jets to Osan Air Base. They also moved about 10 U.S. Marine Corps fighter jets from a base in Japan to the South Korean Air Force's frontline base. A KBS investigation confirmed that U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jets will be deployed in Suwon this week. They're expected to operate in a quasi-permanent format.

[REPORT]
This is the U.S. Marine Corps' F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet deployed to Iwakuni Air Station in Japan in February.

The aircraft can conduct aerial reconnaissance missions and also strike key enemy bases using precision guided bombs such as the joint direct attack munition(JDAM).

Under operation plans, U.S. Marine's air combat assets should be flown to Yecheon Air Base in Gyeongsangbukdo Province in the event of a contingency.

However in recent days, some ten units of the F/A-18 Hornet were forward deployed to the South Korean Air Force's frontline air base in Suwon, and as early as Tuesday, will carry out joint drills with South Korean forces.

This marks the first ever deployment of U.S. air assets to Suwon for a joint exercise.

KBS has learned that the U.S. is set to hold high intensity drills involving precision strikes on specific targets by additionally bringing in its latest F-35B stealth fighter jet.

A senior South Korean military official said that in view of the North Korean situation, drills have been planned so the two sides can train for combined operations on Korean Peninsula bases involving various U.S. assets at any time. The official added that assets will remain in Korea even after the joint drill for their own further training.

Choi Hyeon-guk / Former vice chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff
As part of the alliance, the drill is aimed at boosting support capabilities for
operational execution and environment for air bases in South Korea.

The U.S. earlier said it will redeploy 30 F-16 fighter jets to its Osan Air Base in South Korea for one year.

Experts say that such constant presence of U.S. hardware reflects a grim security situation and changes to the regional security environment including the ever-tightening ties between North Korea and Russia.

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