South Korea Armed Forces

"The South Korean Air Force F-16 crashed during a training flight, obviously due to a technical malfunction. Both pilots ejected safely. Yonhap reported that a South Korean F-16 fighter jet crashed during a drill on Wednesday, but the two pilots safely ejected from the stricken plane, the Air Force said. The cause of the crash in Cheongsong, 322 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was not immediately known."



Source: http://defence-blog.com/news/south-korean-air-force-f-16-crashed-during-a-training-flight.html

South Korea will develop its own type of SLBM

The South Korean Military is developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a high-ranking military official said.

“On the 3,000-ton Jangbogo-III submarine, which is currently under production, we are installing a vertical launching pad,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. SLBMs are fired undersea and are therefore difficult to detect by radar. He added, “The installation of a vertical launching pad indicates that the SLBM is already under development.” The official also went on to say that the SLBM is being developed under the aegis of the Agency of Defense Development and is expected to be completed by 2020.

The South Korean Navy’s arsenal currently includes the submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM). However, as North Korea’s endeavor to develop SLBM technology has almost reached completion, the need within the South Korean military to initiate a response has become urgent.

“Although the SLBM may lack the accuracy of the SLCM, which is equipped with a guidance system, its velocity and destructive capability are significantly greater,” said Kim Hyeok-soo, first commander of a submarine flotilla and now-retired rear admiral. “The deployment of the speedy and stealthy SLMB will allow the South Korean Navy to deliver a blow to North Korea before the situation even escalates to emergency levels.”

Another official said, “The military has already deployed surface-to-air missiles that use cold-launching mechanisms - a technology used by the SLBM, in which the engine fires after the missile reaches a certain altitude. We are trying to apply that mechanism so that the missiles can be fired underwater.”

“North Korea, however, is applying the technology of the Russian surface-to-air missile, the S300, to its SLBMs,” Lee Choon-geun, senior researcher at Korean Institue of Science and Technology, said. “As far as I know, South Korea uses more stable technology by taking the S400 that was obtained from Russia as a repayment of its debt to South Korea.”

The S400 is a technologically superior missile with embedded cold-launching technology.

If the development of SLBMs finishes as scheduled, South Korean military authorities plan to equip the Jangbogo-III submarine with SLBMs, as this submarine which will have been turned over to the Navy by 2020.

Meanwhile, military authorities have decided to upgrade the second version of the Jangbogo-III submarine from 3,000 tons to 3,400 tons.

max steel wrote:South Korea will develop its own type of SLBM

The South Korean Military is developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a high-ranking military official said.

“On the 3,000-ton Jangbogo-III submarine, which is currently under production, we are installing a vertical launching pad,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. SLBMs are fired undersea and are therefore difficult to detect by radar. He added, “The installation of a vertical launching pad indicates that the SLBM is already under development.” The official also went on to say that the SLBM is being developed under the aegis of the Agency of Defense Development and is expected to be completed by 2020.

The South Korean Navy’s arsenal currently includes the submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM). However, as North Korea’s endeavor to develop SLBM technology has almost reached completion, the need within the South Korean military to initiate a response has become urgent.

“Although the SLBM may lack the accuracy of the SLCM, which is equipped with a guidance system, its velocity and destructive capability are significantly greater,” said Kim Hyeok-soo, first commander of a submarine flotilla and now-retired rear admiral. “The deployment of the speedy and stealthy SLMB will allow the South Korean Navy to deliver a blow to North Korea before the situation even escalates to emergency levels.”

Another official said, “The military has already deployed surface-to-air missiles that use cold-launching mechanisms - a technology used by the SLBM, in which the engine fires after the missile reaches a certain altitude. We are trying to apply that mechanism so that the missiles can be fired underwater.”

“North Korea, however, is applying the technology of the Russian surface-to-air missile, the S300, to its SLBMs,” Lee Choon-geun, senior researcher at Korean Institue of Science and Technology, said. “As far as I know, South Korea uses more stable technology by taking the S400 that was obtained from Russia as a repayment of its debt to South Korea.”  

The S400 is a technologically superior missile with embedded cold-launching technology.

If the development of SLBMs finishes as scheduled, South Korean military authorities plan to equip the Jangbogo-III submarine with SLBMs, as this submarine which will have been turned over to the Navy by 2020.

Meanwhile, military authorities have decided to upgrade the second version of the Jangbogo-III submarine from 3,000 tons to 3,400 tons.

South Korea never got S400, they were aided by Almaz Antey to develop Cheolmae-2/Cheolmae 4-H Air defence systems that borrowed some of the solutions from S400.

"The Korean army plans to deploy 600 wheeled K806 and K808 armored vehicles from 2016 until 2020. These will replace tracked armored vehicles in the rapid deployment and internal security roles.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)’s wheeled armored vehicle project, undertaken by defense maker Hyundai Rotem since 2012, has been successfully completed, DAPA said in a statement. It said the locally built vehicle passed its final qualification test on May 9.

The project was aimed at improving the mobility, survivability and hitting power of front line and rear echelon infantry troops as their mission areas have expanded the military’s reorganization plan, the agency noted.

Two armored combat vehicles, the K808 and K806, were developed as part of the project. The K808 is designed for speedy troop deployment and reconnaissance missions in front line areas, including mountainous regions, while the K806 is intended for use in mobile strike and reconnaissance missions in the rear.

In the past, South Korean infantry units had relatively restricted areas of operations because they did not have a sufficient number of all-terrain armored vehicles. This shortage also exposed them to attack from the North when on the move, according to the statement.

“The new wheeled armored vehicles, equipped with cutting-edge technologies, can move swiftly on the ground as well as cross water obstacles, carry heavy firepower and protect the troops inside from enemy machine gun attacks that will enormously increase infantry units’ operability,” the statement also said.



The new vehicles could later be adapted to carry 30 millimeter anti-aircraft guns and be used as wheeled combat command centers, DAPA pointed out. The agency said the new armored vehicles may find an export market, since they enjoy a price advantage and are more capable vehicles overall than those currently on the market.

“The success of the project has allowed the military to field a new weapon system that could carry out various operations in city and rear areas and meet the challenges of future battlefields like United Nations peacekeeping missions,” Park Jin, a DAPA official in charge of combat vehicles, said. “This will dramatically contribute to boosting our military’s strength.”

Source: http://defence-blog.com/army/south-korean-army-will-deploy-600-new-wheeled-armored-vehicles.html

"A South Korean KF-16D crashed on Mar. 30 during an exercise and it has now been determined that a defective component on the engine was the cause. It was discovered that the engine casing came apart while in flight. The defect was traced back to the time it was manufactured. A hot tear had formed during the manufacturing process and the crack propagated over time."

Source: http://alert5.com/2016/06/11/defective-engine-behind-rokaf-f-16d-crash/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

South Korea receives first batch of AW159 anti-submarine helicopters

South Korea has received its four AW159 naval helicopters after initial delays.The South Korean navy is now expected to operationalise the aircraft from mid-2017.

S-400 technology helps Seoul blunt Pyongyang threat


Advanced missile technology that went into Russia's deadly S-400 Triumf missile defense system is powering the South Korean ballistic and air defense missile programs.

Partly in response to North Korea's deployment of nuclear missiles and submarines, Seoul has beefed up its armaments industry with generous doses of Russian technology. Among the most critical projects are a submarine-launched ballistic missile and the M-SAM Cheolmae-2 medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile.

South Korea hopes to one-up the North, which is applying the technology of the Russian S-300 missile to its SLBMs. According to Lee Choon-geun, senior researcher at the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea "uses more stable technology" from the S-400, which is a generation ahead of the S-300.

The S-400 is a highly advanced missile with embedded cold-launching technology. Cold-launched missiles are critical for South Korea's brand new 3000-ton Jangbogo-III submarine. During a cold launch, the rocket engine fires after the missile reaches a certain altitude. This mechanism allows ballistic missiles to be fired from under water, thereby making it possible for the submarine to remain submerged. A high-ranking military official told Korea Joongang Daily the development of the new SLBM is expected to be completed by 2020.

The Daily reports the South Korean Navy's arsenal currently includes the submarine-launched cruise missile. However, as North Korea's efforts to develop SLBM technology have almost reached completion, the need within the South Korean military to initiate a response has become urgent.

"Although the SLBM may lack the accuracy of the SLCM, which is equipped with a guidance system, its velocity and destructive capability are significantly greater," says Kim Hyeok-soo, former rear admiral and the first commander of a South Korean submarine flotilla. "The deployment of the speedy and stealthy SLBM will allow the South Korean Navy to deliver a blow to North Korea before the situation even escalates to emergency levels."

Air defense of the South

Meanwhile, the M-SAM is being jointly developed by Samsung Group and French electronics defense contractor Thales Group. Richard Weitz, director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, writes: "The M-SAM will use S-400 missile technology provided from the Almaz Antey Joint Stock Co., including proprietary information from the S-400's multifunction X-band radar. LG Corp.'s missiles' guidance systems are expected to also use Russian design elements."

The M-SAM Cheolmae-2 is designed to engage both ballistic missiles and aircraft. If the South Koreans are able to achieve anything close to Russia's S-400, they will have a fearsome weapon with which to take on the North's armory of ballistic missiles.

The S-400 has a tracking range of 600 km and the ability to hit targets 400 km away at a blistering speed of 17,000 km an hour – faster than any existing aircraft. First deployed by Russia in 2010, each S-400 battalion has eight launchers, a control center, radar and 16 missiles available as reloads.

"Given its extremely long range and effective electronic warfare capabilities, the S-400 is a game-changing system that challenges current military capabilities at the operational level of war," Paul Giarra, president, Global Strategies and Transformation, told Defense News.

According to Air Power Australia, "The S-300P/S-400 family of surface-to-air missile systems is without doubt the most capable SAM system in widespread use in the Asia Pacific region." It adds: "While the S-300P/S-400 series is often labeled 'Russia's Patriot,' the system in many key respects is more capable than the U.S. Patriot series, and in later variants offers mobility performance and thus survivability much better than that of the Patriot."

For decades, South Koreans have lived in fear of North Korea's missile threats. The new generation missiles will finally allow South Korea to close that window of vulnerability.

Changing Russia-South Korea defense partnership

As a key U.S. ally and loyal customer of American weapons, South Korea is an unlikely buyer of Russian weapons. In fact, Seoul's defense trade with Moscow grew in an unlikely way. In 1991, after the Cold War ended, South Korea extended $1 billion in cash loans and a $470 million commodities loan as a reward for Moscow's recognition of South Korea. However, the Soviet Union went under the same year.

Unable to repay the loans in cash, Russia began supplying what it had in plenty – military equipment such as T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles and helicopters. The first two arms-for-debt deals – all known as Brown Bear – were inked in 1995 and 2003.

However, Seoul did not want to keep importing ready-made weapons platforms, even if the South Korean military was thrilled with the high-octane Russian military gear. There were two reasons for this. One, since Seoul is closely integrated with America's military ecosystem, Russian weapons are not easily integrated. This is, of course, an old American ploy to edge out rivals and increase the market share for its own weapons. At any rate, the South Koreans decided to stop wholesale purchases of Russian weapons.

Secondly, the South Koreans became more ambitious. They wanted to build a world class military industrial complex in step with their dominance in a number of commercial sectors. The government's Defense Reform 2020 initiative is aimed at developing the country's indigenous capabilities via defense R&D. The transfer of cutting-edge S-400 technology is part of this plan.

Seung-Ho Joo and Tae-Hwan Kwak write in their book Korea in the 21st Century: "South Korea may find economic benefits in military cooperation with Russia. Seoul and Moscow can jointly develop advanced technology and high-tech weapons and sell them in the world market. The relationship between the two countries may be mutually complementary: Russia has two advantages in basic sciences and advanced technologies, while South Korea has strengths in marketing skills and capital."

The S-400 isn't cheap – it costs around $500 million per battalion. That's why only countries with deep pockets like China and India (which is negotiating a deal) will be fielding this weapon. But to the credit of the South Koreans, they beat both the Chinese and the Indians to this prized weapon by more than a decade.

Flip side of tech transfers

To be sure, Russia could face some hiccups over the transfer of such leading edge weapons. South Korea's close alliance with the United States means there is a chance of sensitive Russian technology ending up in America's hands. One of the reasons Russia is not unduly worry about U.S. stealth fighters such as the F-22 and F-25 is that the Russian air defense system is considered impregnable to these aircraft. The S-400 is one of those wonder weapons in the Russian arsenal that have neutralized the threat from fifth-generation fighters.

However, if South Korea passes on the secrets of the S-400 to the United States, it would compromise Russian – and Chinese – air defense to some extent. For instance, the 1976 flight of a Soviet defector in the top secret MiG-25 fighter forced Russia to produce new radar and missile systems for the aircraft at considerable cost.

Secondly, if South Korea integrates the S-400-based M-SAM into the American missile defense system, Russia could potentially have to face off its own missiles in any future conflict with the United States.

But with the next generation S-500 missiles coming online, Russia will not lose too much sleep over any potential leak of secrets. For, once you export something, it's a given that your competitors will get their hands on it sooner or later.

DSME starts work on South Korea's second KSS-III submarine


South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), has held a steel-cutting ceremony for the country's second KSS-III submarine, a company official told IHS Jane's on 4 July.

The ceremony was held at DSME's Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island, south of Busan, on 1 July. The company launched the programme's first-of-class in May 2016.

DSME bagged a contract to build the first two 3,000-tonne KSS-III submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) in late 2012. The platform will be the largest submarines in South Korea's fleet once it becomes operational around the 2020 time period.

According to specifications provided by DSME, the indigenously developed platform features an overall length of about 83.5 m, an overall breadth of 7.7 m, and a height of 14.7 m.

South Korea launches first PKX-B missile craft



South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) has launched the country's first 'B' variant of the Patrol Killer Experimental (PKX) fast attack craft.

The vessel, which has been referred to by South Korean media as the patrol boat killer medium, rocket (PKMR) platform, was launched on 28 July at HHIC's facilities in Busan and has been given the pennant number 211.

Citing industry sources, IHS Jane's reported in July 2015 that the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) is acquiring an initial batch of 16 PKX-B vessels.

The 210-tonne platform has an overall length of 44 m, an overall beam of 7 m, and can accommodate a crew of 20. The vessel has been designed by HHIC under a contract awarded by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) but it is unclear if the shipbuilder will construct all 16 hulls.

The PKX-B is powered by General Electric's 6,000 shp LM 500 gas-turbine engines and Caterpillar Marine's Cat C32 diesel engines in a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) configuration. The vessel is propelled by waterjets and has a top speed of 40 kt.

Besides an aft-mounted, 12-barrelled multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) for 130 mm rockets, the platform has also been equipped with a 76 mm naval gun and two remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine guns.

South Korean media reported that the vessel will be commissioned in 2017 and will most probably be deployed as deterrence against fast-moving North Korean hovercraft operating near the Northern Limit Line.

Russia to buy back T-80 tanks and BMP-3 IFVs from South Korea

http://echelon-defense.com/2016/09/06/russia-to-buy-back-t-80-tanks-abd-bmp-3-ifvs-from-south-korea/

airstrike wrote:Russia to buy back T-80 tanks and BMP-3 IFVs from South Korea

http://echelon-defense.com/2016/09/06/russia-to-buy-back-t-80-tanks-abd-bmp-3-ifvs-from-south-korea/

seems a bit strange surely Russia has enough T-80's to use as spare parts and BMP-3 as well. And T-80 are being slowly phased out. Would be nice to send them to Syria for SAA and Hez. lol

It is most likely like the US wanting to buy back Australias Hornets so it can sell them new F-35s.

Except in this case I suspect Russian will likely be offering South Korea a tank and an IFV rather more potent than the ones they already have... unlike the US offer to Australia...

GarryB wrote:It is most likely like the US wanting to buy back Australias Hornets so it can sell them new F-35s.

Except in this case I suspect Russian will likely be offering South Korea a tank and an IFV rather more potent than the ones they already have... unlike the US offer to Australia...

This would be right if Russia and South Korea would be allies like the US and Australia are.

I think more that Russia wants to retire these weapons from South Korea giving them some money that will not be enough for South Korea to replace them by American equivalent warfare.

eehnie wrote:I think more that Russia wants to retire these weapons from South Korea giving them some money that will not be enough for South Korea to replace them by American equivalent warfare.

Wishful thinking, it's just a simple repurchase since those tanks were the secured deposit of a loan.

whir wrote:

eehnie wrote:I think more that Russia wants to retire these weapons from South Korea giving them some money that will not be enough for South Korea to replace them by American equivalent warfare.

Wishful thinking, it's just a simple repurchase since those tanks were the secured deposit of a loan.

Then South Korea will pay more or less to replace them...

South Korea took the T-80 as debt repayment in the first place.

AFAIK they have been popular and done the job required... but I suspect Russia would prefer to sell them T-90s instead.

I also suspect they will want to sell them upgraded BMP-3s with better hull arrangements and perhaps better armament.

I doubt seriously Russia wants to put T-90s together with the tanks of the US.

The alone goal of these T-90 in their entire life would be to defend the land from troops of the north (and I mean not from North Korea), or to go to the north together with the US tanks.

So, no. Nothing of this is in the interest of Rusia.

I think Russia wants to turn South Korea away from its dependence and focus on the US and one of the best ways to do that is to start selling them weapons technology, and developing joint developments with them...

Russia has to expand the countries it trades with.

It has pretty much lost most of its eastern european market for political reasons... though given time that might come back to an extent, but Russia can't just ignore US aligned countries... previously it offered excellent prices and rugged and effective if not totally sophisticated equipment.

The new stuff is as sophisticated as any western stuff but the price has not increased to equal western equipment... an opportunity...

Hyundai Rotem to produce K806 and K808 wheeled armored vehicles for the South Korean Army

http://echelon-defense.com/2016/09/14/kpe-displays-its-bars-8x8-infantry-combat-vehicle-a-joint-south-african-kazakh-project/

Promising South Korean anti-tank guided missile Tank Sniper



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2136676.html

First Batch of New Taurus Missiles Delivered to South Korean Air Force

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/asia/201610141046348734-first-taurus-missile-south-korea/

South Korea tested a ballistic missile with a range of 800 km



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2538063.html