South Korean officials said on February 2 that the Navy has established a new fleet command to operate multiple destroyers, including those equipped with the Aegis combat system, to better cope with military threats from North Korea at sea.
"The South Korean Navy's Special Forces Command, the key unit of the three-axis maritime system to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and protect the country's shipping lanes, has officially become operational since February 1," the Navy said in a statement.
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| North Korea's test launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile on January 6. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the newly tested hypersonic missile system would help deter the country's adversaries in the Pacific region, as the US Secretary of State visited the region. (Source: KCNA) |
The maritime tri-axis system is the maritime version of the military's three-pillar deterrence structure, which includes the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform, the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) system, and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD).
According to the Navy, in case of emergency, the command will dispatch key destroyers to waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) - the de facto maritime demarcation line between the two Koreas - to detect and intercept North Korean missiles, and carry out precision strikes on key targets.
The Navy noted that the new command operates 10 destroyers and four support vessels, including the 8,200-ton destroyer Jeongjo the Great equipped with stealth radar capabilities and the latest Aegis combat system.
Ships built under South Korea's next-generation destroyer project, known as the KDDX, will also be assigned to the new command upon completion, the South Korean Navy added.
Meanwhile, on the same day, February 2, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) accused the US of stepping up arms aid to its allies to consolidate its hegemonic status, while asserting that this aid was still not enough to "save" South Korea from its strategic deficit.
"The United States, the world's biggest war merchant, is more enthusiastic than ever about its plan to sell weapons to its allies," KCNA commented, stressing that arms sales to South Korea were becoming "more persistent."
The North Korean news agency said that the arms aid to South Korea reflects the US's intention to disrupt the balance of power in the region and consolidate its hegemonic status. At the same time, it emphasized, "No arms aid from the US can save South Korea from the fate of strategic deficit... The US will not be able to realize its ambition thanks to the righteous power of the DPRK."
KCNA made the accusation after the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency recently announced plans to sell weapons to South Korea, including BQM-177A subsonic targets for Aegis destroyers and GQM-163 target drones.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ban-dao-trieu-tien-han-quoc-cung-co-he-thong-ba-truc-tren-bien-tang-kha-nang-ran-de-binh-nhuong-goi-my-la-thuong-nhan-chien-tranh-lon-nhat-the-gioi-302893.html
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