tirsdag 30. september 2025

US establishes new Reaper drone unit 250 miles from China

The US Air Force is putting a permanent drone presence on the Korean Peninsula, reviving a World War II-era squadron to bolster security amid simmering military tensions in the region. The 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron was activated on Monday at Kunsan Air Base on South Korea’s west coast, south of the capital Seoul. It will fly MQ-9 Reaper drones from the installation.

It’s another move towards strengthening the US military’s air capabilities on the peninsula, after it repositioned F-16 fighter jets closer to North Korea in recent months. It also comes just weeks after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un stood shoulder to shoulder with China’s leader Xi Jinping at a massive military parade in Beijing.