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South Korea to purchase 20 additional F-35 fighter jets from US despite North's warnings
[PRESSTV] South Korea has announced a plan to purchase 20 additional F-35 fighter jets from the United States, in a move that is likely to infuriate North Korea ...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...which has already warned Seoul against the deployment of the jets in the region. The South’s arms procurement agency announced on Friday that it will begin the second phase of its plan to acquire stealthy fighter jets "in 2021 for the five years to come." Some $3.3 billion will go toward buying the additional Lockheed Martin-made aircraft, said the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Seoul has already ordered 40 F-35 under a 2014 deal worth about $6.4 billion. The first delivery of the fighters started earlier this year. It has so far received 8 jets, while a total of 26 more planes will be delivered by the end of next year, according to the South Korean air force. Earlier this month, the military displayed some of its newly acquired jets for the first time. The move came despite North Korea’s call in July on South Korean authorities "to come to their senses before it is too late" and stop purchasing the aircraft. Pyongyang warned then that it would begin developing "special armaments" capable of destroying the fifth generation aircraft if South Korea did not cease its deployment of the jets in the region. It described the purchase and testing of the aircraft as an "extremely dangerous action which will trigger our reaction." Related: F-35: 2019-10-01 Stealthy no more? F-35: 2019-10-01 Army troops, Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters launch anti-Daesh offensive in western Iraq F-35: 2019-09-25 Turkey may purchase Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter under favorable terms Related: Pyongyang: 2019-10-08 North Korea warns US, Europeans against raising issue of missile test at UNSC meeting Pyongyang: 2019-09-12 North Korea tests super-large multiple rocket launcher: report Pyongyang: 2019-09-11 North Korea fires 2 projectiles after offering talks with US Posted by: Fred 2019-10-13 |
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