U.S. to swap Apaches in S. Korea for newest model

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military will swap its Apache attack
helicopters in South Korea for their latest model starting in September,
officials said Friday.

The U.S. Forces Korea currently operates 24 AH-64D Apache Longbows that are block
1 models. South Korean officials confirmed a U.S. media report that they will be
swapped for block 2 models.
The newest model has a digital cockpit map display and forward looking infrared
equipment that provides better target identification at long distances,
according to the U.S. military-run Stars and Stripes.
"By the end of the year, all of our aircraft will be traded in," Chief Warrant
Officer 4 Craig D. Yerdon of the 4th Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment at Camp
Humphreys, was quoted as saying.
"It drastically increases pilot situational awareness, reduces our workload,"
Yerdon said, adding the replacement will not reduce the number of Apaches
stationed in South Korea.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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