S.Korea on alert for possible N.Korea firepower display

AFP ^ | 2/20/2010 | AFP

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

South Korea's military was on high alert Saturday after North Korea declared no-go zones near its disputed sea border with the South, sparking fears the reclusive state could begin firing weapons.

"We've deployed anti-artillery firefinder radar systems in Baengnyeong island and Yeonpyeong islands," a Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman told AFP.

"However, there is no unusual military activity detected in the North," he said.

Yonhap news agency said the South had also stepped up air and naval surveillance along the inter-Korean border.

As of late Friday, the North has declared a total of eight no-sail zones: four in the Yellow Sea and four others in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off its northeast coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

They will be effective for three days from Saturday.

The no-sail zones raised the prospect of a further display of firepower after a North Korean artillery barrage in late January heightened tensions on the divided peninsula.

The Yellow Sea border was the scene of deadly naval battles in 1999 and 2002 and of a firefight last November which left a North Korean patrol boat in flames.

Since that clash the North has positioned dozens of rocket launchers at its coastal bases near the maritime frontier, Yonhap said.

The North said it was staging a routine exercise but South Korea and the United States described the firing as provocative.

Since then the North has again declared no-sail zones but not gone ahead with any exercises.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Capabilities
Locates mortars, artillery, and rocket launchers
Locates 10 weapons simultaneously
Locates targets on first round
Performs high-burst, datum-plane, and impact registrations
Adjusts friendly fire
Interfaces with tactical fire
Predicts impact of hostile projectiles