SEOUL - THE United States on Tuesday announced a plan to deploy a dozen F-16 jet fighters in South Korea as a replacement for Apache attack helicopters being withdrawn from the country.

The US forces in Korea said in a statement the F-16s would arrive here before the attack helicopters move out in March.

General Walter Sharp, commander of 28,500 American troops in South Korea, said the planned replacement will 'further strengthen Combined Forces Command's ability to defeat any North Korean aggression.'

South Korea has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-1953 conflict ended only in an armistice and not a full peace pact.

US military authorities had previously announced that a battalion of 24 AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopters, to move from here to Iraq and Afghanistan, would be replaced with a dozen A-10 anti-tank aircraft.

But they decided to send a dozen F-16s instead 'due to increased requirements for inspections and repairs' to the A-10s.

Nato and US commanders have made repeated calls for more helicopters to be deployed in Afghanistan, where US President-elect Barack Obama has promised to intensify military operations to stem a growing insurgency. -- AFP