Seoul: The US Army will deploy a mechanised infantry battalion made up of advanced battle tanks to South Korea to bolster defence on the peninsula as part of a rotational force.
The battalion armed with M1A2 battle tanks and M2A3 armoured infantry fighting vehicles will depart their base today to join the US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division stationed in South Korea, (Yonhap) news agency quoted military officials as saying.
About 800 American service members will serve in North Gyeonggi Province, just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, as part of planned enhancements to American forces in the country, they said.
“The US Department of Defence is consistently pushing for rotational deployments of its forces across the world to meet requirements of commanders.
The deployment of the US Army’s mechanised infantry battalion to South Korea seems part of this policy,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said in a briefing.
He said, “South Korea and the US have been cooperating to step up deterrence capability on the Korean Peninsula.”
About 28,500 American service members are stationed in South Korea to help deter aggression from North Korea.
Agencies
