Posted on 03/11/2003 11:02:56 AM PST by Sub-Driver
At Least 6 Stealth Fighters Being Sent to South Korea for Exercises The Associated Press
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AP) - At least six F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters will head to South Korea to take part in routine joint military exercises, military officials said. "Over six F-117s are scheduled to participate in exercises from Kun San Air Base in South Korea," Maj. Tina Barber-Matthew said at Holloman Monday.
Holloman officials described the exercises as routine. The base said more than 100 support personnel will participate.
The exercises are dubbed Eagle, Foal Eagle and RSOI, for Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration. The various exercises, which began last week, will run through April 2, Holloman said. The RSOI exercise is set for March 19-26.
The New Mexico base is home to the nation's entire fleet of stealth fighters.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions between the United States and North Korea. On Monday, North Korea test-fired a short-range missile in what analysts said was a widely anticipated launch from a base on the country's east coast.
However, Barber-Matthew said the exercises are defense-oriented and unrelated to the North Korean nuclear crisis or other current world events.
IIRC, the one shot down was an "A" model, one of the early models.
Said to have been the result of a "lucky shot", the shootdown was a huge egg on the face of the USAF. Still, much face was saved when the SAR people tracked the pilot's pinger down and pulled him out.
The Serbs sold the planejunk to the high bidder.
Anyhoo, nice to see that the North Koreans get a larger deployment every time they stomp their footies.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
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