The U.S. nuclear-propelled Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier (L) and the Aegis-equipped Sejong the Great-class destroyer sail in waters off South Korea’s east coast on Oct. 28, 2015, as 25 South Korean and U.S. warships take part in a joint naval exercise aimed at bolstering combat readiness and interoperability, in this photo provided by the Navy. (Yonhap)
It looks like the normal probing that occurs along the NLL by the North Koreans:
A North Korean patrol ship crossed the maritime border into the South on Saturday during a beefed-up crackdown on Chinese fishing boats operating near the border, the South Korean military said Sunday.
The South Korean Navy ship fired five warning shots with a 40 mm-caliber gun. The ship retreated to the North 18 minutes after the shots were fired. No damage was seen on the ship, Seoul authorities said.
Pyongyang called the South’s use of the gun a “deliberate military provocation,” warning that the inter-Korean relations could return to the point before the two sides struck a comprehensive deal on Aug. 25 to defuse cross-border tensions.
The North’s vessel came some 700 meters into the South Korean waters at around 3:30 p.m., according to Seoul authorities. At the time, the vessel was carrying out a stepped-up clampdown on some 100 Chinese vessels operating near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto sea border.
“In the process of (the North) making its retreat, there was no naval clash or anything,” said a military official on condition of anonymity. “We are keeping closer tabs on the North Korean military’s movements and strengthening our readiness posture.” [Korea Herald]
You can read more at the link.
South Korea sends a ship to Japanese naval review for first time since 2002. http://t.co/5EFsFrbemO pic.twitter.com/QGCFScTqgt
— Alastair Gale (@AlastairGale) October 18, 2015
This may seem insignificant, but I think it is another small step towards improving relations between the two countries that strategically have more to gain by working together instead of bickering for internal domestic political reasons:
This year will be the first time in 13 years that South Korea has dispatched a vessel to the review
For the first time in 13 years, the South Korean navy will dispatch a vessel to the international fleet review hosted by the Japanese navy. “The South Korean navy is planning to have one vessel participate in the international fleet review hosted by Japan‘s Maritime Self-Defense Forces on Oct. 18. The two navies are currently working out the details,” South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sep. 7. A fleet review is a kind of maritime naval parade in which various military vessels are inspected together. South Korea agreed to participate in Japan’s fleet review during the meeting of the two countries’ defense ministers this May. During the meeting, the two ministers agreed that South Korea would take part in the review in the interest of strengthening bilateral defense cooperation. The last time that South Korea sent a ship to join a naval review hosted by Japan was 2002. Japan deployed vessels to fleet reviews hosted by South Korea in 1998 and 2008. The countries participating in the fleet review, which is being held at Yokosuka Harbor, Japan, include the US, Australia, India, and France. [Hankyoreh]
You can read the rest at the link.
The photo shows a ceremony being held to launch the Navy’s sixth next-generation frigate Gwangju at the dock of STX Offshore and Shipbuilding Co. in Changwon, southeastern South Korea, on Aug. 11, 2015. The 2,300-ton ship is equipped with three-dimension scanning radar, a sonar torpedo detecting system as well as anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. (Yonhap)
The new submarine that the ROK is commissioning actually has some really good capabilities and range:
South Korea unveiled a new 1,800-ton attack submarine on Thursday amid its stepped-up efforts to cope with evolving maritime security challenges such as from North Korea.
The 214-class submarine, the country’s sixth, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. and for the first time named after a woman ― Yu Gwan-sun, a venerated independent fighter during Japanese colonial rule.
Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Chung Ho-seop, other top military and industry officials and Yu’s families attended the launching ceremony held on Geojedo Island, South Gyeongsang Province.
“The submarine is equipped with antiship, antisubmarine and offensive mining operations capabilities and will be loaded with Korean cruise missiles capable of precision strikes against key facilities of the enemy,” the Navy said in a statement.
To be commissioned in November 2016, the diesel-powered sub has a maximum underwater speed of 20 knots (37 kilometers per hour), which makes it possible to travel between South Korea and Hawaii without refueling.
It will be operated by Air Independent Propulsion, which bolsters the vessel’s submerged endurance and allows the crew to carry out underwater missions for up to two weeks without access to atmospheric oxygen.
The Navy currently has 13 submarines: nine 1,200-ton, 209-class submarines and four 1,800-ton, 214-class submarines. By 2019, its fleet is slated to be expanded to 18 submarines with the addition of five 214-class submarines. [Korea Herald]
You can read more at the link, but this submarine may be why the North Koreans have been reportedly conducting their own submarine based missile tests.
President Park Geun-hye hugs a female noncommissioned officer at a port in Abu Dhabi on March 6, 2015. Park toured the South Korean destroyer Daejoyeong, which is docked at the port as part of its multinational anti-piracy operations. (Yonhap)
This is not good for the ROK Navy:
Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted former Navy Chief of Staff Jung Ok-keun over accusations that he took 770 million won ($700,000) in bribes from a local shipbuilding conglomerate when he held the position in 2008.
The 63-year-old was arrested late last month on suspicions that he received kickbacks from two subsidiaries under the now financially crippled STX Corporation through a yachting company, whose majority stakeholder was his 38-year-old son.
Jung’s son was detained a day earlier on charges that he allegedly pocketed money from STX Offshore and Shipbuilding and STX Engine by recording them as sponsors for his yachting event, which was organized in Busan to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Navy’s establishment.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has since been narrowing its investigation into whether Jung could have benefited from his eldest son’s business dealings.
Jung’s son and his business partner at the time, a former Navy colonel surnamed Yoo, were also indicted on Tuesday for contributing to the bribery, as was a former Navy operations commander surnamed Yoon, who is the non-executive director of STX. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read the rest at the link, but it makes you wonder how many other people have been getting these huge bribes?
The construction of a military residential complex resumes near the site of a new naval base on Jeju Island on Feb. 2, 2015. (Yonhap)
Just another example of the growing military capabilities of the ROK Navy:
The South Korean Navy on Sunday inaugurated a submarine command as part of efforts to bolster its underwater capabilities and combat readiness against North Korea.
The fleet of the command, based in the southern port city of Jinhae and led by a rear admiral, is composed of 13 submarines under the Ninth Submarine Flotilla, the Navy said in a statement.
The Navy operates nine 1,200-ton submarines and four 1,800-ton subs, while planning to add five more 1,800-ton submarines to be built by 2019. In addition, it plans to deploy nine 3,000-ton submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles, starting in 2020.
The launch made South Korea, which commissioned its first submarine from Germany in 1992, the sixth nation in the world with a submarine command after the United States, Japan, France, Britain and India. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
