South Korean Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

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Naval Technology said:

The Republic of Korea Navy's (ROKN) second Incheon-class FFX coastal defence vessel, Gyeonggi, FFG-812, has been launched at Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, Seoul, South Korea, in a bid to boost the country's naval deterrence capability.

Named after Gyeonggi Province, located near Seoul and the western port city of Incheon, the ship has been designed and developed locally to provide improved warfare capabilities for the ROKN, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

The navy said the Incheon-class vessels are being built as part of the ROKN's FFX naval programme for the acquisition of up to 20 ships to replace the ROKN's aging Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates fleet by 2020.

Capable of accommodating a crew of 170, the Incheon-class FFX ships feature anti-air defence and helicopter landing capabilities and will also support multi-role operations, such as coast patrol, anti-submarine warfare and transport missions for the ROKN.

"The Incheon-class FFX ships feature anti-air defence and helicopter landing capabilities."The vessels use Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engines to attain a maximum cruising speed of 30k and are fitted with an advanced radar system, guns, a sonar system as well as anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.

Featuring a stealth hull design to reduce acoustic and infrared signatures, the 114m-long and 14m-wide ships are equipped with Samsung Thales naval shield integrated combat management system for target detection, tracking and threat assessment.

In addition, the Incheon-class ships are armed with a SSM-700K Hae Sung (Sea Star) long-range anti-ship missile, a 127mm/L62 mark 45 model 4 naval gun, a Phalanx 20mm close-in weapon system (CIWS) and a RIM-116B rolling airframe missile 21-round launcher.

The first ship of the class, Incheon, was launched in April 2011, while the Gyeonggi ship is scheduled to be delivered and deployed with the navy in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

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Air Force Brat said:

This is a great point-Blank, my info was that Boeing was going to eliminate the canted tails etc, as they were not cost effective at the F-15SEs price point, it would have the conformal weapons bay, likely plumbed for fuel as well so, until we see the specs for the SK bird, I would hold off on judging. It would also "spook" the neighbors, who are already spooky enough, for SK to buy the F-35, So that leaves the very capable, cheaper, and less stigmatized F-15SE as a very logical choice for SK, they F-35, F-15, and F-18 are kinemetically comparable as well, the Typhoon likely having a slight advantage kinemetically???? brat

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Pointblank said:

Topic Moved from the F-35 thread:



I am guessing that a lot more features will be eliminated due to the pricing constraints. We are talking about an F-15 variant that has never been built before, Boeing has been talking about RAM, and radar blockers, it may look externally similar to an F-15K, but be very different. We don't know what structural issues may crop up. Everything has to be integrated and tested, and it all has to come in under budget for what will essentially be a low production run of 60 aircraft. If things become more expensive than planned or delayed (imagine that) things get tougher still.

On top of that, maintenance and spare parts for what is essentially an orphan fleet will be a major concern. If an F-15SE needs Needs a new RAM Panel, its going to have to get it as a special order from Boeing as a previous Strike Eagle series panel will not work, unless you want to lose RCS. So the more rare panel from the limited production will end up costing more, and South Korea is already paying through the nose for their F-15K fleet due to a number of technical differences that make their F-15K fleet totally unique compared to every other F-15E out there. I think there was a recent report that said that the F-15K fleet was twice as likely to be grounded due to spare parts than any other fighter in the ROKAF's inventory, coupled with a 10-fold increase in maintenance costs over a period of 4 years.

Boeing is going to have to take all these promised features, keep them affordable, and in the contract budget. It may end up being that capabilities will be cut or kicked down the line to maintain the budget. Even then logistics and affordability may be issues, in which case the aircraft may become "white elephants" in service.

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Boeing Spurned as South Korea Plans New Tender for Jet Fighters
By Sam Kim & Julie Johnsson - Sep 24, 2013 7:42 AM PT

South Korea said it would hold a new tender for 60 fighter jets after rejecting Boeing Co. (BA)’s bid for the 8.3 trillion-won ($7.7 billion) contract over concerns the F-15SE wasn’t advanced enough to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat.

“South Korea needs measures for retaliation against North Korean provocation,” Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok said in Seoul today after the decision. “South Korea needs to secure military capability in line with recent aviation technology developments.”

Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle, a new model featuring stealth technology to avoid detection, was the only jet that remained in contention after Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and the European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. presented bids that exceeded budget guidelines. Another auction will be held “swiftly,” said Baek Youn Hyeong, spokesman for the arms procurement office. The F-15SE may still be considered, Kim said.

South Korea faces North Korea over one of the world’s most heavily armed borders, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce. The contract to build 60 fighter jets would have been South Korea’s biggest weapons deal ever and Boeing already supplies fighter jets to the country.
‘Deeply Disappointed’

The decision is a blow to Boeing, which has invested “significant resources” to improve the performance of the F-15SE, including redesigning its fuel tanks to increase the jet’s range and weapons capability, Howard Rubel, a New York-based aerospace analyst with Jefferies LLC, wrote in a research report today. As of June 30, Chicago-based Boeing had $85 million in potential termination liabilities and inventory tied to an anticipated international order, Rubel said.

“Boeing is deeply disappointed by the Republic of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Executive Committee decision,” Boeing said in an e-mailed statement, referring to South Korea’s official name. “Boeing has rigorously followed the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s instructions throughout the entire process. We await details from DAPA on its basis for the delay while evaluating our next options.”

A Boeing victory would have been the first for the F-15SE over Lockheed’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is considered part of the so-called fifth generation of fighters. The single-engine jet, the world’s most expensive weapons program, is being bought by countries from the U.S. to Australia to Israel, and is being considered by Singapore, which also operates F-15s.

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Pointblank said:

Update: Reset on South Korea's tender for F-X III. They are going back to the drawing board:

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Not surprised. 15 former ROKAF chiefs have all came out against the F-15SE, and wrote a letter to the South Korean president and DAPA urging reconsideration.

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US Navy said:

ABOARD USS BLUE RIDGE (NNS) -- The USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group will conduct a series of exercises with the Republic or Korea Navy Sept. 30-Oct. 13 to strengthen maritime interoperability and tactics, techniques and procedures.

The U.S. routinely conducts Carrier Strike Group operations in the waters around the Republic of Korea to exercise maritime maneuvers, strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance, and improve regional security.

Exercises will consist of a routine dual-coast bilateral maritime counter-Special Operating Force exercise (MCSOFEX), subject matter expert exchanges, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare drills, communication drills, air defense exercises, medical evacuation exercises, counter-mine planning and distinguished visitor embarkations.

The U.S. Navy maintains a presence in the Indo Asia-Pacific region to help preserve peace and security and further our partnerships with friends and allies. Our forward presence contributes to freedom of navigation and lawful use of the sea, as well as furthers operational training and enables an exchange of culture, skills, and tactical knowledge.

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