South Korea was pushing to change the contractor for its project to upgrade its aging fleet of F-16 fighters from BAE Systems to Lockheed Martin after rows over a cost hike, military sources here said Thursday. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the U.S. defense ministry agreed to have BAE Systems upgrade 134 aircraft of the KF-16 variants C and D Block 52 to improve their electronic warfare capabilities. The Seoul government, however, has halted the contract wit

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. government is getting near-daily reports _ and sometimes two or three a day _ of drones flying near airplanes and helicopters or close to airports without permission, federal and industry officials tell The Associated Press. It's a sharp increase from just two years ago when such reports were still unusual.Many of the reports are filed with the Federal Aviation Administration by airline pilots. But other pilots, airport officials and local authorities often file repor

ZHUHAI, China (AFP) - China's new stealth jet fighter rocketed skywards Wednesday as Beijing puts on an unprecedented display of openness -- and military force -- at the country's premier airshow.The black J-31 rose in a nearly vertical climb on take-off in Zhuhai before circling back and doing two rolls, in the aircraft's first announced public appearance.The plane's existence has been the subject of rumour and speculation for years, with photographs appearing increasingly frequently on militar

South Korea plans to dispatch military officers to the ongoing bilateral U.S.-Japan field training exercise to boost cooperation with the allies, Seoul officials said Wednesday.The Keen Sword exercise is the latest in a series of bilateral field training exercises since 1986 involving the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Force designed to increase combat readiness and interoperability between the two sides."Two or three lieutenant colonel-level South Korean officers from the defense ministry

The defense ministry plans to build a new complex to house the Army's cyber command, military sources said Tuesday, a move expected to draw controversy as the command is at the center of an election-meddling scandal.According to the sources, the cyber command plans to push for constructing a new independent complex of some 43,504 square meters in Yongsan, central Seoul, by around 2016 with a budget of 71.7 billion won (US$66.07 million)."The new complex is needed to help boost our capacity to be

South Korean troops fired warning shots near the border separating the rival countries as North Korean soldiers approached the Military Demarcation Line near Paju, Gangwon Province, the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.According to the JCS office, more than 10 North Korean soldiers were spotted approaching the demarcation line at about 9:40 a.m Monday. Located within the Demilitarized Zone, the MDL divides the two Koreas. “At about 9:40 a.m., about 10 North Korean soldiers approac

The South Korean military began its annual war exercise involving all branches of service on Monday to bolster its defense posture against potential threats from North Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.This year’s 12-day Hoguk exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps “will focus on ways to establish supreme military defense capabilities against (North Korea’s) possible regional provocations and all-out war,” the JCS said in a statement.The exercise was to be conducted ac

The South Korean military began its annual war exercise involving all branches of service on Monday to bolster its defense posture against belligerent North Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. This year's 12-day Hoguk exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps "will focus on ways to establish supreme military defense capabilities against (North Korea's) possible regional provocations and all-out war," the JCS said in a statement. The exercise was to be conducted

South Korea's arms procurement agency plans to employ more civilians and fewer soldiers, as part of its efforts to reform the organization that has been tainted by a series of corruption scandals, according to the agency's chief."We are considering reducing the number of military officers and increasing the number of civil servants," said Lee Yong-geol, head of the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday.The remarks come afte

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) ― The U.S. government has approved a possible sale to South Korea of PAC-3 interceptor missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.405 billion, a U.S. defense agency said.The State Department has approved South Korea’s request that 136 PAC-3 missiles be sold to the Asian ally, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.The agency said it delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the sale Wednesday.The estimated cost is $1.405 b

A 49-year-old businessman has been arrested on charges of illegally securing classified documents about the country's next-generation submarine project, prosectors said Friday.  The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the head of a South Korean-German defense company, surnamed Park, received the documents from an executive of another defense contractor, surnamed Kim, at unspecified dates.  Kim is currently standing trial over allegations that between 2008 and June this year he collec

South Korea's military will kick off its annual nationwide war exercise scrambling all branches of service next week to bolster its defense posture against potential North Korean threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday.  This year's 12-day Hoguk Exercise will kick off on Monday, involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marine Corps, according to the JCS.  The war drill will focus on enhancing the military branches' joint combat capabilities on land as well as in the air and on th

The U.S. government has approved a possible sale to South Korea of PAC-3 interceptor missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$1.405 billion, a U.S.defense agency said.   The State Department has approved South Korea's request that 136 PAC-3 missiles be sold to the Asian ally, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.   The agency said it delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the sale Wednesday.   The estimated cost is $1.405 billio

The United States has decided to disband an armored brigade combat team under its 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea and bring in a new 4,600-strong rotational combat unit, as part of its global troop rotational scheme, the U.S. Forces Korea said Thursday.The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, currently based in Camp Casey in Dongducheon, north of Seoul, is to be “deactivated” in June 2015 when the rotational team arrives here to operate as part of the 28,500-strong USFK. The new troops are to o