Revealing that the US trains troops in tunnels to deal with North Korea
The US military is stepping up efforts to train soldiers in tunnel warfare skills, to counter an advantage North Korea has at its disposal: thousands of tunnels.
The US news agency NPR on October 9 quoted anonymous officials revealing that the training campaign will last throughout 2018 and ensure President Donald Trump's statement about the possibility of military options against North Korea.
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The 101st Airborne Division and the 82nd Airborne Division are said to be taking part in the exercise. Normally, one or two US divisions train for tunnel warfare, but recent threats from the Kim Jong-un regime have prompted the US to increase the number of training troops.
Dave Maxwell, a retired US Army colonel who fought in the Korean War, told NPR that North Korea has an extensive network of about 5,000 tunnels, most of them built deep underground to avoid airstrikes.
The tunnel system in North Korea even runs straight into South Korea. It not only serves soldiers crossing the demilitarized zone but also helps transport artillery and other weapons.
In the event of war, North Korea's enemies would have to fight not only in the air and on the ground, but also underground. "I think it's necessary, not only for the U.S. military but also for the South Korean military," Maxwell told NPR of the "tunnel warfare" training.
The US is considering launching attacks on several locations in North Korea.
(Baonghean.vn) - US officials have discussed conducting a military strike as representatives of North Korea and South Korea met for the first time in two years.
