SpaceWar.com reports: “North Korea on Friday criticised recent US arms sales in Asia, calling a deal to deliver Apache helicopters to South Korea a ‘reckless, provocative act’ and adding it would build up its own forces in response.

‘We strongly oppose and reject the US and its vassal forces’ arms buildup,’ Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, referring to the South.

‘This is a reckless, provocative act of deliberately increasing the security instability in the region,’ it added, also criticising recent US sales to Japan and other Asia-Pacific allies of Washington.

On Monday, the United States announced its approval of a $3.5 billion sale to South Korea of up to 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including missiles.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sale would ‘improve the Republic of Korea’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations’, using South Korea’s formal name…”