US military in S Korea asks Pentagon to deploy additional reinforcements

The US military in South Korea is asking the Pentagon to deploy more attack helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft and missile assets here to boost its war-fighting capabilities, its top commander Gen. James Thurman said Tuesday. Thurman's remarks come at a time of renewed tension on the Korean Peninsula amid concerns North Korea may soon conduct a third nuclear test or carry out another military provocation against South Korea under its new and untested leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea's (Yonhap) news agency reported. "In order to enhance war-fighting capabilities, I have asked for prioritization to receive an additional attack-reconnaissance squadron to bring to our combat aviation brigade," Thurman said at a forum in Seoul. "And I have asked for increased capabilities in terms of theater ballistic missile defense," said the commander of US Forces Korea (USFK) at the forum hosted by the Association of ROK (South Korea) Army. Thurman, who assumed the post last July, said he also asked the US government to deploy one aviation battalion to its 2nd Infantry Division and increase manning levels and ballistic missile assets of its Patriot missile units under its 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in South Korea. It was the first time that a top USFK commander reveals plans to increase military assets here. USFK officials said the additional aviation battalion would be equipped with Apache attack helicopters. On Monday, South Korea's military held an unscheduled readiness exercise to check out its defense posture and warned that it would "immediately punish the core forces of provocations" if provoked again by North Korea.