SEOUL — U.S. Forces Korea will get an undisclosed number of up-armored Humvees in July, four years after officials requested them to replace vehicles shipped to the war on terror in the Middle East, according to a USFK spokesman.

Lt. Col. Wayne Perry said the arrival of the equipment has been delayed because Humvees have been going first to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

USFK commander Gen. B.B. Bell told a congressional committee on March 11 that he was concerned about his command’s lack of up-armored vehicles and had asked the U.S. Army to expedite their delivery.

“Given the experience that we’ve had in Afghanistan and Iraq and knowing the special operating force capability in North Korea, I want all of my wheel vehicles to be up-armored on the peninsula, and that has not taken place yet,” he said.

The $87,000 Humvees will supplement but not replace USFK’s existing vehicles, Perry said.

Perry said he couldn’t say how many Humvees are coming because of security reasons, but they will bring USFK’s up-armored vehicle stock to 14 percent of its total requirement.

Currently, 2 percent of USFK’s tactical ground force wheeled vehicles are up-armored, the public affairs office said, in addition to fully-armored tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. About 1 percent of USFK’s prepositioned vehicles and equipment are up-armored, Perry said.

Bell told the committee that those numbers are “not really satisfactory,” but units going to Iraq are rightfully getting them first.

“I’m not complaining at all, because I’m not facing imminent combat,” he said.

Bell said USFK’s air and ground forces are ready but not as protected as he would like.

“If you walked amongst the 2nd Infantry Division right now, you’d see a very ready division without up-armored vehicles,” he said. “So that piece, given what we’ve seen in Iraq and that vulnerability, does concern me.”