US planes fly out of South Korea as asset redeployment reports grow

The potential redeployment may be an indication of a strained weapons stockpile for the US. Read more at straitstimes.com.

US military transport planes have flown out of South Korea in recent days, flight-tracking data showed, after Seoul confirmed it was discussing the possible redeployment of American military assets as the Iran conflict escalates.

Data from the Flightradar24 website indicated that US military transport planes, including C-17 and C-5, flew out of South Korea’s Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, one as recently as March 7.

It was not immediately clear what the aircraft were carrying.

Yonhap News reported earlier that US Forces Korea – which oversees the tens of thousands of US troops and military assets stationed in the South to help deter the nuclear-armed North – had been transferring Patriot missile launchers from across the South to the Osan base, citing government sources it did not identify.

It is rare for the C-5, relatively bigger than the C-17 aircraft, to land on the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap said.

The potential redeployment of military assets from South Korea would underscore how the Iran conflict may strain missile-defence inventories.