#rokn

Naval perspectives....

This would be your view of a United States Navy guided-missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), gently turning towards you....

....as you bob in the water....(in your boat, in a life raft, or clutching a large piece of driftwood)....

....and....YIKES!....the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), coming right at you!

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The two warships were lined-up like this while participating in a formal maritime pass-in-review with the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) recently (October 11, 2018) in the ocean waters off the Korean peninsula.

From another perspective....this is a wider shot of the American-Korean naval pass-in-review shortly before the top photo was taken....(Note the Korean island of Jeju off to the right....and USS Chancellorsville and USS Ronald Reagan approaching in the upper left.) (In addition, note in the left foreground, the sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) manning the port-side rails in formal uniforms as ROKN warships -- Korean amphibious assault ship ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) closest here --  steam nearby in the opposite direction. All part of a very honored and respected naval ceremony.

                                             USS Benfold (DDG 65)

The very impressive Republic of Korea Navy armada passes-in-review....with the line-up of American warships behind the camera from this Naval perspective). (>>Photo: Sergeant Benjamin Parsons, U.S. Army)

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>>CLICK the top photo for a better look....

An historic naval armada for our time….

WESTERN PACIFIC (Nov. 12, 2017) -- For the first time in ten years, three United States Navy aircraft carriers -- and their escorting carrier strike groups (cruisers, destroyers and submarines (not visible)) -- are operating together in the far-Western Pacific....enroute the Sea of Japan for a show-of-force to threatening nuclear, biological and chemical weapons rogue-state North Korea (DPRK).

The American warships are accompanied by -- and training with -- naval forces from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) (South Korea).

The three American aircraft carrier strike groups, along with Japanese and South Korean warships....will transit from the Western Pacific Ocean along, roughly, the yellow-green track above....into the Sea of Japan....as a show of force against North Korea....over the next couple of days.

This is one of the greatest -- and the most powerful -- naval armadas ever assembled.

Those three United States Navy carrier strike groups are crewed by roughly 18,000 sailors and Marines....and account for around USD$50 Billion of military ships, aircraft and support resources.

The naval forces from Japan and South Korea are all state-of-the-art warships crewed by outstanding sailors.

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The three navies are working together as a team....in hopes of bringing about peace through strength....but ready for hostilities with strength and purpose.

A rational nation and its leadership would most likely get the message. But, don’t expect rationality out of North Korea nor its dictator, Kim Jong-un....

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>>CLICK any of the nine photos above to scroll/swipe through larger, high-resolution versions....and captioned details on each image....

>>Top photo: LTJG James Griffin, USN

>>Second photo: Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Anthony Rivera, USN

>>Third thru Sixth photos: LT Aaron B. Hicks, USN

>>Seventh & Eighth photos:  Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Ku, USN

>>Bottom photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Russell, USN

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One-minute aerial video of the three American carriers in formal formation with their strike groups, and warships from Japan and South Korea....as the international armada approaches the Sea of Japan on 13 November 2017.

On station....

WATERS EAST OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA (Oct. 18, 2017) -- The United States Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), and guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) steam together while conducting a bilateral training exercise with the South Korean Navy (ROKN).

What with the heightened tensions with nearby rogue-state North Korea (DPRK)....this exercise in the western part of the Sea of Japan is being watched very carefully by much of the world....and especially North Korea!

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>>CLICK the top photo for a much closer look....(Note the full complement of fighter jets on the carrier’s flight deck.)

Joint Fire Support Vessel: South Korea’s future Arsenal Ship

by Military Review / 밀리터리 리뷰 

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South Korean Ministry of National Defense recently confirmed the inclusion of “Joint Fire Support Vessel (합동화력함)” in the 2020-2024 Mid-term Defense Acquisition Plan (국방중기계획). The JFSV, modeled after the conceptual “Arsenal Ship,” is considered as the most optimal solution against North Korea’s preemptive strike.

The Republic of Korea Navy plans on commissioning 2~3 of these 5,000 tons ships by late 2020s.

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[[Background]]

As South Korea edged closer to fully establishing its “Kill Chain” network designed to preemptively destroy North Korean ballistic missiles, North Korea unveiled its own series of tactical missiles in response. North Korea’s newly-introduced precision-guided weapons such as the KN-23 SRBM and “400mm Large Caliber MRL” are designed to neutralize South Korean Kill Chain network by preemptively destroying missile bases.

South Korea reportedly operates no more than 10 missile bases, and they are all located within the range of new North Korean missiles in the provinces of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheong. South Korea is thus establishing a sea-based “Second Strike” capability in the case that these missile bases are neutralized.

According to official statement, the 2~3 JFSVs planned for construction will not be based on existing platform, but rather an entirely new hull with displacement of around 4,000 ~ 5,000 tons comparable to the Chungmugong Yi Sunsin-class (KDX-II) destroyers.

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[[Challenges faced by the Army Missile Command]]

Republic of Korea Army Missile Command, in charge of South Korea’s ballistic missiles, currently possesses approximately 220 x ATACMS, 900 x modified Hyunmoo-2, and 800 x Hyunmoo-2A/B. Hyunmoo-2C began deployment in 2018 with a plan for around 300 additional missiles, but that number was increased when the development of Hyunmoo-4 became possible after the easing of MTCR restriction by the US.

Modified Hyunmoo-2 missiles, which were produced in 1990s and modified in early 2000s, are scheduled for gradual retirement, and many of them have been used as targets for South Korean missile defense program like the KM-SAM Block-II. In addition to the Hyunmoo-2 family of missiles, the ROKA Missile Command will possess approximately 1,000 additional cruise and ballistic missiles of different types. At the moment, however, they are facing serious challenges in acquiring operational bases and Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) necessary to properly accommodate these missiles.

According to publicly-available information, ROKA Missile Command is constructing additional facilities in the country’s central provinces. These missile bases, however, are said to be very costly by nature and cannot remain hidden due to their size and types of equipment associated with such facility, making them vulnerable to North Korean attacks.

Although additional TELs are continuously produced, their numbers are too limited compared to the massive arsenal of missiles.

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[[Limitations of TELs]]

TELs are assembled at various bases during peace time and are dispersed in times of war. Several TELs, a command vehicle, and escort unit maneuver to pre-designated launch positions to begin their operations. Each TELs offer protections against NBC threat and small arms. Despite this, they are still susceptible to preemptive strikes due to the fact that large number of these TELs are usually gathered in one location.

Even though each TEL is equipped with an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), allowing it to maintain launch-ready status for a significant amount of time, it can only operate for about a week in the field without external support.

In addition, these TELs manufactured by Hanwha Defense cost approximately $1.6 million per vehicle. This relatively expensive non-conventional asset can only launch one missile at a time and requires a rather sizable support unit, thus increasing overall operational cost.

Lastly, as the Hyunmoo-family of missiles get larger, so did the TELs. This led to reduction off-road capability and overall maneuverability. Hyunmoo-2C’s 10 x 10 TEL, for example, require a separate trailer for the missile launcher unlike the Hyunoo-2A/B’s 8 x 8 TEL. In short, these missiles are becoming more and more difficult to operate within the small confines of South Korea.

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[[Cost-effectiveness of Joint Fire Support Vessel]]

The JFSV is said to be very cost-efficient since each ship will not be equipped with any significant sensors or additional armament. The highly-automated nature of the ship will only require a minimal number of crew as well. The overall life cycle cost is projected to be much cheaper than an equivalent number of launchers and support units of the Army Missile Command.

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[[Advantages of the Joint Fire Support Vessel]]

The biggest selling point of the JFSV is that these vessels would operate well out of reach of North Korea and easily solve the shortage of ground-based TEL. According to the Republic of Korea Navy’s current internal conceptual design of the JFSV, each 5,000 tons vessel can carry around 150 cruise and ballistic missiles.

Unlike the ground-based TELs, the JFSV, by its maritime nature, is not limited by missile payload or maneuverability. JFSV would be able to operate over a month at a time if replenished and can virtually remain undetectable to both the public and North Korea.

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[[Vulnerability]]

The main downside of the JFSV is “putting too many eggs in one basket;” loss of one ship would represent a significant blow. Although North Korea currently does not possess a reliable method of attacking the JFSV, ROKN is taking precautions by implementing reduced-RCS stealth features and electric propulsion for noise-reduction to increase JFSV’s survivability.

Although the JFSV is strictly meant to be a deterrent against North Korea, it can theoretically be armed with long-range anti-ship missiles in the future.