Three hundred airmen from the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard will deploy to Osan Air Base, about 40 miles south of Seoul, South Korea, beginning the week of April 10, it was announced Thursday.

The deployment will include about 12 of the wing's F-16 fighter aircraft and will be used to help maintain "a deterrent against threats to regional security and stability," according to the Guard.

The use of such aircraft in the region has been a routine part of U.S. military presence since March of 2004, Col. Jon Safstrom, the 148th Fighter Wing's commander, said in a statement.

It is unclear how long the deployment will last.