The other naval build up in asia

The Korean navy has shown some impressive growth in recent years. It has complete transformed itself from a coastal defense force into a blue-water navy.

Gwanggaeto the Great class





Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers




3 Building 6 planned Sejong the Great Class Destroyers (AKA Arleigh Burke on steroids)

And with 3 or 4 Dokdo-class Carriers on the way, the RoK Navy is going to be a good match for some other East Asian powers. I just hope that with Japan upgrading its navy and the PLAN expanding dramatically, things aren't going to get out of hand. A naval arms race sadly is all too easy to fall into, even if it does produce some splendid ships like the Dokdo and the Hyuga (or the Varyag/Shi Lang for that matter).

The navy trend in Asia right now is definitely set on modernising and expanding. Then again, if your neighbours are doing it then naturally you would follow.

Nice pics btw...

IDonT said:

The Korean navy has shown some impressive growth in recent years. It has complete transformed itself from a coastal defense force into a blue-water navy.

Gwanggaeto the Great class

[qimg]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/KDXI.JPG[/qimg]

[qimg]http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/images/ddh-971-stern.jpg[/qimg]

Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers

[qimg]http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/images/kdx2-2.jpg[/qimg]
3 Building 6 planned Sejong the Great Class Destroyers (AKA Arleigh Burke on steroids)

[qimg]http://bemil.chosun.com/brd/files/BEMIL104/upload/2007/05/KDX3_11.JPG[/qimg]

Click to expand...

The KDX-I, KDX-II, and now the KDX-III destroyers are all modern and very impressive. The new Dokdo LPH are aslo very impressive vessels.

Here's what they will have by 2010:

KDX-I DDG - 3
KDX-II DDG - 6
KDX-III DDG - 2
FFG-FFK - 9
Dokdo LPH - 2

All of this is very impressive, blue water material. A lot of it is based on modernizing their forces, but also in responding to the PLAN and the JMSDF. In that context, here's what a ROKN strike group might look like in the 20-teens:



The KDX-III is, simply put, the most powerful AEGIS vessel in terms of shear fire power anywhere, including the US vessels. Their will just neve be too many of them for South Korea. I have made recommendations that the US use the KDX-III design as a starting point for a bridge US AEGIS crusier until the CGX gets over its current difficulties, has the technology it wants to deploy avaialabnle, and begins being produced in some numbers.

Here's a link to a page regarding that proposal:



The overall modern designs of the South Korean navy are very efficient and very capable, and will add singificantly to the overal naval deterrent in the region for US allies in particular, even if the realtionship between South Korea dn Japan is strained from time to time.

In that regard, the Japanese, in the same time frame with over 50 modern destroyers, two helo-carriers and three smaller LPH type vessels (the Osumis) will maintain status as the major naval force in the region.

There is a problem with the S. Korean Dokdo LPH. This according to some postings I read in another forum. Presently the S.Korean Navy has no money for aircrfat for the ship..Anyone have any confirmation of this??

bd popeye said:

Presently the S.Korean Navy has no money for aircrfat for the ship..Anyone have any confirmation of this??

Click to expand...

Ouch! I hate it when that happens.

But seriously, I had not heard this, but will look into it and see what I can find.

If true...what a collosal mistake and mismangement. Why build a flat-top you cannot outfit with its principle asset. It would be hard to believe that they would make so fundamental a mistake...but we shall see.

bd popeye said:

There is a problem with the S. Korean Dokdo LPH. This according to some postings I read in another forum. Presently the S.Korean Navy has no money for aircrfat for the ship..Anyone have any confirmation of this??

Click to expand...

I expect aircraft to be borrowed from Army aviation. The ROK Army has 24 CH-47 Chinooks, and around 130 UH-60 Black Hawks. I'm sure some of them can be borrowed from the Army. The Navy does not use the UH-60 or it's variants; the primary ASW helicopter of the South Korean Navy is the Westland Lynx.

Pointblank said:

I expect aircraft to be borrowed from Army aviation. The ROK Army has 24 CH-47 Chinooks, and around 130 UH-60 Black Hawks. I'm sure some of them can be borrowed from the Army. The Navy does not use the UH-60 or it's variants; the primary ASW helicopter of the South Korean Navy is the Westland Lynx.

Click to expand...

Land based helicopter are not really suited for sea based operation due to salt corrosion issues.

nemo said:

Land based helicopter are not really suited for sea based operation due to salt corrosion issues.

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Didn't stop the RAF from flying a Chinook off their carriers in the Falklands War and the RAF still operates Chinooks on occasion off their amphibs. Plus, the Japanese Osumi LST's can operate a pair of Chinooks if needed. Also, the Sikorsky S-70 series helicopters are fully suited for naval aviation.

South Korea's build up highlights what is available to America's allies when they have money to pay for the systems. India and China are also having a naval build up that are greater in terms of tonnage involved, however, on a technological terms their lastest warships (Talwar and 052C) are still lagging behind what South Korea is about to commission.