Korea develops unmanned tiltrotor aircraft

Korea on Wednesday unveiled its first unmanned tiltrotor aircraft, capable of vertical takeoff and landing as well as high-speed navigation.
The Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute disclosed the new “smart” aircraft at the aerospace center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.
The state-funded aerospace think tank is negotiating with government agencies for commercial use of the vehicle.
“We have just completed the research and development program, and are in talks with the ministries of defense, land and knowledge economy about the next step,” said Park Kyun-je, chief of KARI’s smart aerial vehicle development center.
“Our UAV can now fly at about a speed of 400 kph, and our aim is to raise it to 500.”
Most helicopters’ maximum speed is between 200 and 300 kph.
In addition to military use by the Navy and the Marines, KARI expects the aircraft to be useful for reconnaissance of coasts and islands, prevention and control of forest fires, transportation monitoring and atmospheric and environmental observation.
The tiltrotor aircraft could also be used in the future as a platform for personal air vehicles which enable door-to-door transportation without the use of runways, KARI said in a press release.
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North Korea threatens to attack SKorean leader's office

North Korea threatened Thursday to turn Seoul's presidential office into a "sea of fire," one day after South Korea conducted large-scale military drills near a front-line island attacked by North Korea last year.
The exercises marked the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong that killed two marines and two civilians.

The North's military warned in a statement Thursday that "a similar sea of fire" may engulf Seoul's presidential Blue House if South Korean forces ever fire a single shot into North Korea's territory. The warning was carried by North Korean state media.

Pyongyang blamed Seoul for provoking the attack last year, saying it struck after warning the South not to carry out live-fire drills in waters that both Koreas claim as their territory.

South Korea's drills this week involved aircraft, rocket launchers and artillery guns and took place off Baengnyeong Island, another front-line territory near the disputed maritime border. Officials said they were meant to send a strong message to North Korean rivals stationed within sight just miles (kilometers) away. No live-fire activities took place.

The North Korean military threat comes despite recent signs that animosities between the rival Koreas are easing, with diplomats seeking to resume North Korean nuclear disarmament talks.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday that he was sorry North Korea has not yet apologized for the shelling, according to his office. He also said he expects Pyongyang to apologize if North Korea wants to improve relations between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war because their 1950s conflict ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Source : http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-11-23/North-Korea-South-Korea-military/51377434/1

Female honor guard, Harmony of discipline and beauty

Probably most of you might think tall, well shaped male soldiers if you hear about honor guard, but in South Korea, you can see female honor guard members with red caps, nice uniforms and rifle spinning performance. They attract many people's attention with their perfect rifle performance and their skill is as good as male honor guard's. South Korean female honor guard was established in 1989 and it's the only female honor guard in the world. It performed more than 150 times a year, which comes about 3,000 performances in total and showed exquisite harmony of discipline and beauty.

N.Korea Reinforces Coastal Artillery

North Korea is reinforcing artillery bases along the west coast in the lead-up to the first anniversary of the shelling of Yeonpyeong island on Nov. 23. The coastal artillery base that indiscriminately fired at Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23, 2010 is on the stretch of coast that is now being reinforced.

A South Korean government source on Thursday said intelligence forces have detected signs that the North is building new coastal artillery bases in Kaemori and on Jangsan cape across from the island. "It seems that they were either relocating the artillery base because last year's shelling revealed the location, or building more artillery bases," the source added.

North Korea is also erecting barracks and other buildings in the area as well. But the source said, "We have yet to grasp whether they have strengthened their military capacity by increasing the number of troops or reinforcing long-range artillery guns."

At the end of last month and early this month, North Korea tested anti-ship missiles by firing them from IL-28 bombers in the West Sea.

The South Korean government is downplaying the moves, saying they do not necessarily mean the North is planning further provocations. "It's more likely that North Korea is reacting to our military's reinforcement of military and artillery capacity in Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands recently," the source said.