US to Deploy Unmanned Attack Aircraft to S. Korea

U.S. to Deploy Unmanned Attack Aircraft to S. Korea: source

SEOUL --- The United States will deploy an unmanned attack aircraft to its military unit in South Korea to enhance its strike capabilities against ground targets in North Korea, a military official said Monday.

The U.S. Army has begun the process to dispatch a squadron, which will operate the Grey Eagle unmanned aircraft, to a U.S. unit in Gunsan (274 kilometers south of Seoul)," the official told Yonhap News Agency asking not to be identified.

The official said consultations are underway between South Korea and the U.S. over the deployment. He didn't give a specific time frame.

The Grey Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System is capable of carrying four AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and four GPS-aided GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bombs.

The weapons are capable of striking major military facilities located just north of the Military Demarcation Line bisecting the two Koreas, the official said.

The unmanned aircraft is also capable of destroying the war command in Pyongyang, including its leader Kim Jong-un, in case of a war.

Gray Eagle features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS) that allows the aircraft to be launched and recovered without any operator interaction. It could reach speeds of up to 280 kilometers per hour during its 30 hour operation time.

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