Latest updates[?]: South Korea unveiled a new attack submarine. The sixth 214-class sub, built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., is a 1,800-ton boat powered by Air Independent Propulsion. The South Koreans ordered the first batch of 214-class subs in 2000, with an additional order for six boats set for delivery by 2020. The South Korean Navy recently stood up an independent submarine command, becoming the sixth country in the world to possess such an independent structure.The command is based at Jinhae Naval Base, in South Gyeongsang, managing its fleet of 13 boats.
Sohn Won-Yil & Nimitz
The German Type 214 was selected by Korea over the French/Spanish Scorpene Class that has been ordered by Chile, India, and Malaysia. Some would argue that U-214s are the most advanced diesel-electric submarines on the market, with an increased diving depth of over 400 meters, an optimized hull and propeller design, ultra-modern internal systems, and an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that lets the diesel submarine stay submerged for long periods without needing to surface and snorkel air.
South Korea ordered its first 3 KSS-II/ Type 214 boats in 2000, which were assembled by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The Batch 2 order will add 6 more of the 65m, 1,700t boats, effectively doubling the ROKN’s number of modern submarines. The latest development is a $16 million order for Saab electronic systems for the 2nd batch of 214 submarines.
In November 2012, Peru signed a $200 million contract with South Korea for turboprop trainers and light attack aircraft. The deal involves 10 of its KT-1 trainers, which have also been exported to Turkey and Indonesia, and 10 KA-1 armed counterinsurgency variants. Korea Aerospace Industries will ship 4 of the planes from South Korea, with the rest being assembled from KAI kits in Peru.
The same “value positioning” model that made items like Korea’s Hyundai cars a success is also at work in the global defense sector. It’s time for competitors to take note, because that model is starting to rack up steady wins.
The Royal Australian Navy is on its way to fixing the crisis in its amphibious fleet, giving itself modernized FFG-7 and ANZAC Class frigates, and buying itself advanced new air defense destroyers. Without an adequate support fleet, however, the breadth of territory and ocean it has to cover will work against the RAN. The existing replenishment fleet is a combination of the old and the limited, so something has to be done. As of June 2014, something will be done – outside of Australia.
In June 2012, the US DSCA announced South Korea’s formal request to buy up to 367 CBU-105D/B Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser (WCMD) Sensor Fuzed Weapons and associated parts, equipment, logistical support and training, for an estimated cost of up to $325 million.
South Korea has been moving to modernize its air force, from F-15K Slam Eagle fighter buys, to talk of modernizing its F-16 fleet, to the imminent introduction of its own FA-50 lightweight fighter, in partnership with Lockheed Martin. Its latest move would buy a formidable vehicle and boat-killing weapon that could be used from any of these fighters. So, what is a WCMD?
Turkey has been looking for a new amphibious assault ship for some time. The competition for an “LPD” began in 2010, and bids were requested in 2011, but it took until December 2013 for the SSM procurement agency to decide.
In December 2013, Turkey’s SSM procurement agency announced that the Defense Industry Executive Committee had directed them to begin contract negotiations with SEDEF Gemi Insaati AS, which is partnered with Navantia to offer the BPE/ Juan Carlos I Class design. If that fails, Turkey will look East…
The RQ-4 Global Hawks isn’t a full successor to the famous U-2 spy plane just yet. It’s close, however, and some people have described the HALE (High Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV as the equivalent of having a photo satellite on station. Flying at 60,000 feet for 30-40+ hours at a time, the jet-powered UAV uses sophisticated radars and other sensors to monitor developments on land, sea, and air over an area of about 40,000 square miles/ 100,000 square km. Reported image resolution has been described as 1 foot or less. The USA has made effective use of Global Hawks since their formal unveiling in 1997, which has prompted interest from other countries. NATO’s AGS system will deploy Global Hawk UAVs as well.
Outside of NATO, however, sales have been much trickier. Four issues have worked to hold up potential sales – 2 of which are acknowledged openly, and 2 of which tend to play out very much behind the scenes. South Korea ran afoul of all 4 of those issues, when the USA rejected their application to buy 4 of the larger RQ-4B UAVs in 2006. Now, it seems, the tide has turned in the USA, but South Korea is less sure. What’s certain is that the USA will be fielding its own Global Hawks over the peninsula. What’s less certain is whether South Korea will buy some of its own.
South Korea intends to spend more than 2 billion dollars over the next 5 years on missiles according to Yonhap. The Chosunilbo reports that this sum will translate into 500+ Hyunmu-2 and Hyunmu-3 missiles. They’re also adding to their minesweeping capabilities.
In late November 2011, South Korea’s left-wing Hankyoreh newspaper reports that a combination of unauthorized examination of an F-15K’s Lockheed Martin “Tiger Eyes” IRST(InfraRed Search and Track) sensor, and concerns that a number of South Korean products contain copied technologies, have halted “strategic weapons exports” from the USA to South Korea. That reportedly includes the proposed RQ-4B Global Hawk deal.
The 70/30 Elbit/IAI joint venture Elisra Electronic Systems Ltd. recently announced a $29 million contract to supply the Korean Government’s CN-235 transporters with Airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) Suites and Missile Warning Systems (MWS) for its ROKAF CN-235 transports.
South Korea appears to be positioning itself to award a pair of contracts for key submarine systems to local manufacturers. The move would provide early funding for critical systems carried on Korea’s future KSS-III 3,000t submarines, which are not expected to make their debut until about 2022. It’s also meant to reinforce Korea’s growing capabilities in naval combat systems, a competency that meshes naturally with its world-class shipbuilding centers.
A May 13/09 article in The Korean Times reports that the Samsung Thales Corp. (STC) joint venture is set to win a $120 million contract for submarine combat systems, as the sole bidder for the contract. Its rival LIG Nex1 reportedly dropped its bid in April 2009, but is expected to take charge of integrating the KSS-III’s sonar systems under an $80 million deal.
Samsung Thales, formerly Samsung Aerospace, has successfully developed naval combat systems for South Korea’s new Dokdo class LHDs/LPHs, and its KDX-I Opko class and KDX-II Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers. The firm has been working on an advanced submarine combat system for the past 4 years, and has watched sales grow by 12% annually over the last 3 years. STC is reportedly preparing to offer its products on the global market, and hopes to double its annual sales to WON 1 trillion (about $723 million) by 2012. Korea Times | Defense News.
