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The government will set up a Weapons Impact Scoring System, which indicates accurately where bombs fall, next month on the island of Jikdo in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province to accommodate urgent demands for a bombing rage from the U.S. Air Force.
Gunsan Mayor Mun Dong-shin said Sunday the city held a coordination meeting on the day and decided to give permission for the use of mountains and surrounding waters for the WISS. The Defense Ministry and government officials confirmed this.
That would solve a thorny issue between the U.S. and Korea which has seen an ultimatum from Lt. Gen. Garry Trexler, the commander of the U.S. Seventh Air Force and USFK deputy commander, who said last week the Air Force would move pilots abroad unless it is given a new bomber training range here within 30 days to replace the closed-down Kooni Range in Maehyangri, Gyeonggi Province.
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birdĄ¯s eye view of Jik Island, the site for a planned U.S. Forces Korea bombing range.
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The Defense Ministry will start installing two 40 m iron towels equipped with five cameras -- four for scoring and one for safety checks -- and a 25 m power line tower. Once the WISS is installed, the air forces of Korea and the U.S. will drop blanks in exercises on Dae Jikdo (larger Jikdo), and small live ordnance on So Jikdo (smaller Jikdo).
The altitude of the bombers will increase to 4-5 km, from the current 600 m, to minimize noise, while the controlled sea area where fishing boats are banned is to be reduced from a radius of 18§° to 9 §° to provide more fishing area. Gunsan city will be given W300 billion (US$1=W947) and other incentives by the government.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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