US Army Apache attack helicopters based in South Korea are conducting live fire drills with rockets and weapons for the first time since 2019, as allies step up military exercises amid tensions with North Korea.
Training has resumed at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, south of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the border, after being canceled in recent years when nearby residents complained of noise and safety concerns.
Last week, AH-64E Apache helicopters involved in certification exercises, video footage and photographs released by the US 2nd Infantry Division showed.
“Teams are qualifying during the day and night on the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, Hydra 70 rocket and 30mm cannon,” the division said on Twitter.
The exercises come as the Allies announced they would resume other live field training during reduced joint exercises for several years because of Covid-19 and efforts to reduce tension with the North.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to “normalize” joint exercises and increase deterrence against the North.
The Apache exercises will also measure the level of noise they generate in response to complaints, a Defense Ministry official said.
US Forces in Korea (USFK) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lack of live fire training was a “big problem” for US pilots and crews, said a former senior US defense official.
“They were less ready when they left (South Korea) than when they arrived,” he told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss US military operations.
During the period without live-fire drills, the Pentagon paid to send Apache crews back to the United States for qualification drills every quarter, he added.
The problem was compounded when the US military permanently deployed a previously rotating Apache unit in South Korea in February, he said.
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s government had no interest in overcoming political problems and resuming exercises, the former official said, predicting Yoon would likely make further progress.
Source: CNN Brasil
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