Defense chief, US army secretary discuss alliance, drone cooperation

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Secretary of Army Daniel Driscoll held talks Thursday and discussed ways to strengthen their countries' cooperation in areas including the arms industry and drone development, the defense ministry said. In the talks held in Seoul, Ahn said bilateral military trust and cooperation have driven their bilateral alliance and proposed for close cooperation on further advancing such ties. Both sides concurred on the importance of maintaining a robust combined defense posture to deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, with Ahn underscoring the role of the U.S. Forces Korea for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The defense chief called for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of science technology and arms industry maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), to which Driscoll concurred. Ahn and Driscoll also concurred on the growing importance of drones in future warfare and agreed to expand joint research, production and operation of such unmanned assets, according to the ministry.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times