S. Korea`s KF-16 fighters to carry smart bombs in 2010: U.S. general

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By Sam Kim and Kim Eun-jeong
SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's warfighting capabilities will markedly
improve when its KF-16 fighter jets become capable of carrying satellite-guided
bombs within the coming year, the top U.S. Air Force commander here said Monday.
The comment by Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington of the 7th Air Force marks the first
time that an official from either of the two allies has publicly given a timeline
for the installment of U.S.-made joint direct attack munitions, or JDAMs, on the
KF-16s.
"We'll see another significant improvement within next year when the KF-16
becomes JDAM capable" in the South Korean Air Force, Remington said at a forum in
Seoul, according to a transcript of his speech released by the U.S. Forces Korea.
Remington cited the introduction of F-15Ks and Patriot interceptor missiles as
the other two "watershed events" in the growth of the South Korean Air Force.
Carrying a global positioning system, or GPS, on its tail, a JDAM is a kit that
converts unguided bombs into munitions that can hit the enemy's ground targets
with precision.
Weapons experts say JDAMs will enable powerful and precise attacks on frontline
North Korean artillery hidden in bunkers and caves in the event of war.
A defense source in Seoul said earlier this year the Air Force is working to
reduce the weight of JDAMs so they can be carried on KF-16s as well as on F-15Ks.
KF-16s, a variation of F-16s, form the backbone of South Korea's Air Force, which
operates about 130 of the jets.
The Koreas remain technically at war after their 1950-53 Korean War ended in a
truce rather than a peace treaty. About 28,500 U.S. soldiers are stationed in
South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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