-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! South Korea: Joining Asia’s Naval Arms Race 29 March 2001 South Korea laid out its first detailed plan to develop a deepwater naval force capable of securing economic and defense interests far from shore. South Korean President Kim Dae Jung said in a March 19 speech at the Naval Academy at Chinhae that his country would soon deploy a strategic fleet of warships, including domestically produced Aegis-class destroyers and submarines and new anti-submarine aircraft acquired from the United States. South Korea is able to shift its military focus beyond the threat of conflict with North Korea partly as a result of Seoul’s “Sunshine Policy” with Pyongyang, which has reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula. But this shift is also an effort to compete with other regional militaries that are extending the reach of forces. South Korea’s entrance into the East Asian naval arms race will fuel competing interests among the region’s military powers, raising the prospect of conflict on the seas in the coming decade. South Korea first shifted its defense focus away from North Korea last year with the release of its 2001 defense budget plan, which highlighted as new areas of attention the waters and airspace beyond the nation’s borders. Now Kim is taking it a step further, announcing South Korea will reorganize its three naval fleets to create a strategic task force. To outfit the navy with strategic capabilities, South Korea is building three 4,200-ton KDX II-class destroyers and plans to build three 7,000-ton KDX III-class Aegis destroyers. Meanwhile, Germany's HDW Group was recently selected for a $700 million order to build three Type 214 attack submarines in South Korea. The South Korean navy also plans a 12,000-ton aircraft carrier, but so far has been unable to identify the requisite funding. A U.S. Aegis-class destroyer is deployed on maneuvers. South Korea’s naval plans include the domestic production of Aegis-class destroyers. South Korean officials are studying equipping the destroyers with the Standard SM-2-Block-VI-A theatre missile defense system. The Standard SM-2-Block-VI-A intercepts missiles at ranges up to 62 miles and was successfully tested in 1997 and 2000. The creation of a blue-water navy is now realistic because of the reduced threat of invasion from North Korea. And the decision to unveil the naval plans may be part of an effort to build support for rapprochement with North Korea within the military. South Korea’s military is concerned about its future role should the two Koreas ultimately be reunited, and at the same time is concerned that in the process of reconciliation inadequate attention is being given to the remaining threat from North Korea. Whether or not stability remains on the peninsula, actions taken by other Asian nations to develop blue-water navies, combined with signs the U.S. Navy will be playing a less active role in the region, make a similar move by South Korea inevitable. Asian countries, including China, India, Japan and Taiwan, are expected to procure between 200 and 300 new ships over the next two decades, with the bulk of them designed for operations far from shore. China, Japan and South Korea are seeking to exert their influence over the same stretch of waters, from Japan to Singapore to India and the Middle East, a critical trade route in the region. China has already taken steps to increase military operations beyond its shores, acquiring Russian Sovremenny-class destroyers, conducting long-range naval exercises and building bases on the disputed Spratley Islands in the South China Sea. Japan, which boasts the most advanced naval fleet in the region, has expanded its navy’s role to include joint maritime patrols with friendly nations far from its shores. South Korea, whose lifeblood is seaborne trade, has taken note of these naval developments. Asia’s naval arms race comes as the United States signals its intent to scale back military commitments in the region. While Asia is becoming more of a focus for U.S. military planners, much of that focus is strategic and intended to keep an eye on China. When it comes to more tactical engagements, Washington is taking a less proactive stance. The reduced American presence will require the region’s navies to take on greater responsibility to ensure free trade in East Asian waters. Although cooperation will be the watchword for these navies, they are also likely to butt heads as they become more capable and have greater reach. South Korea’s blue-water navy is a natural response to regional naval developments. Seoul sees little choice but to compete with its neighbors by introducing a credible naval force that can operate far from home. The result will be to further fuel an already intense regional naval arms race and increase the chance for confrontation on the high seas. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF!ttp://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ���CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! 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