South Korea Moving Forward with Acquisition of an Aircraft Carrier
There is a number of C2, ISR, and missile defense capabilities that the ROK should be pursuing if they really want to take over OPCON from USFK, but instead they want to build an aircraft carrier:
The military has decided to push ahead with its plan to develop an indigenous light aircraft carrier despite questions over its effectiveness.
Korea Times
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) decided on the need for the aircraft carrier during a meeting presided over by JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul last Wednesday.
The decision came despite the project budget being largely reduced. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) had initially planned to spend 10.1 billion ($9.3 million) won this year for the basic design of the carrier but the Ministry of Economy and Finance reduced the amount to only 100 million won for contracts covering research and holding debates.
The military is planning to establish basic strategies for the development project and complete a feasibility study this year, and begin basic design work next year to finally secure one light aircraft carrier with a 30,000 tons standard displacement and 40,000 tons full-load displacement by 2033. The military is also expected to push ahead with acquiring F-35B stealth fighter jets which can be carried by the vessel.
You can read more at the link, but I believe this has more to do with keeping up with the Japanese than off setting any capability from North Korea.
The Harris/Bidet Administration won’t sell ’em F-35Bs because it might upset the Norks or Winnie Xi.
Before the Kim Young Sam presidency, the focus of the ROK Armed Forces was the DPRK, and whatever limited budget was spent on countering the DPRK forces. The equipment procured during that period was suited to that purpose and was sustainable. When YS became President, he vowed to “scold” the Japanese and ever since then whatever military equipment the Japanese procured the Koreans followed.
Some of the examples are the F-15K, F-35A, Aegis destroyers, 3,000 ton submarines and last but not the least the aircraft carrier.
Not only are the above weapons hugely expensive to buy and operate, the ROK Armed Forces which is still a conscript military has trouble sustaining them. Also, the expensive show off weapons steal money away from the equipment that are badly needed like personal equipment for ROK Army infantry and Marines, BMD, improved howitzers, defense against rockets, modern assault helicopters, to name a few.
The result of this stupidity is an Armed Forces that look big and mighty but in reality has a glass chin.
TOK, you’re right. And with the recent directive shortening the conscript service from 24 to 18 months will only make the glass thinner and more fragile…
All according to plan…
And all that technology will fall into Nork hands…
All according to plan…
Which brings to mind the scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon (27 November 1942) and whether there are South Koreans who would do that to prevent the “blue water” deaths of Korean sailors should their former navy be pitted against American Allies.
As I said, I don’t think South Korea will end up with any F-35Bs. However, we’ve all seen how OnStar works, so they might. Same with Chinese technology. The users don’t know what’s in the chips.
“repo-times com/repossession-secret.htm”