A GNP National Assemblyman has unveiled a CG drawing and specs of the ROKN’s proposed amphibious assault ship (pic below).
The ship has a standard displacement of 4,500 tons and can carry 700 troops in addition to tanks, armored vehicles, trucks, and artillery. It also has a well deck for one landing craft and has two more landing craft stowed on its deck. There’s also a flight deck for two medium sized helos. For self-defense, it will carry a single gun and the Rolling Airframe Missile.
The total cost for the 4 ships is expected to reach US$800 million.
The ROKN originally wanted to form its amphibious force around 4 Dokdo class ships. But, after building one, the MND poured cold water on the other three ships and although there was speculation that two more would be built, it looks like that there won’t be any follow up to the ROKS Dokdo.
Anyways, with the Dokdo and the 4 proposed ships, the ROKN will have the capability to sea lift an entire ROKMC brigade, and thus reduce its dependence on the US 7th Fleet for transporting and landing the ROKMC. Currently it can only lift a battalion (a regiment if the Dokdo is included), and if it needs more capacity it has to request assistance from the US 7th Fleet, specifically the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group.
Just one question. Why is a GNP Assemblyman and not the ROKN showing this ship to the public?
7 Comments
I believe that the National Assemblyman has charged that the new ships are too small to accomodate (in the wet well?) the (new?) landing craft.
#1.
Yes he did. He charged that the ship cannot accomodate the LSF-2(Korean version of the U.S. LCAC) in its well deck.
But still that’s no excuse for what he did. Although I do admit that there isn’t anything about the ship to entail it being classified.
The first question that popped into my head was “will this be able to transport LSFs?” (Hovercraft landing ships similar to the US LCACs) and it was answered half way down the article, that apparently “no they can’t”. They will use traditional landing craft, however this part was so typical of Korean fatalism:
or (in so many words) “Oh, pathetic, sniveling, wretched Korea, we have no choice but to deploy our marines until 2025 the same way we did in 1940, BOO-F’ing-HOO”
well, no bucks, no Buck Rogers my friends…
But fret not, the old style isn;t all that bad. They talk about how great the LSFs are as compared to traditional “Landing Craft Mechanized” (LCM) with regards to having a wider range of areas with which to go ashore, and the greater speed, but neglect to mention range. Those hovercrafts suck up fuel like its going out of style, and thus can’t go that far from the ship, and lets not forget about maintenance and operational costs. The LCM/LCU type craft allow the LPD (the new ship in question) to have a greater standoff range while delivering its goods.
And lets not forget the US has its new San Antonio class LPD which is the same concept, but much bigger size as this while the much older USS Iwojima is more analogous to the shiney new LDH Dokdo.
Just what is the mission of these ships? Who are you going to use them against? Are these for international peace-keeping duties or a future invasion of the PRC to take back Koguryo?
Ummm…. a ROK marine brigade against the PLA army? I respect the ROK marines and all, would be like one grasshopper against an ant colony.
The ROKN is buying the new phibs to replace its LSTs and address a shortfall in amphibious capabilities.
But Kunsanpcv, has asked some pointed questions. It seems that no one in the ROKN has clearly stated what the mission of these ships are. OK, if a conflict breaks out with N. Korea yes they will be used to launch an amphibious assault on N. Korea, but in the meantime, what is the ROKN going to use them for?
“OK, if a conflict breaks out with N. Korea yes they will be used to launch an amphibious assault on N. Korea, but in the meantime, what is the ROKN going to use them for?”
Well, everything of strategic importance in North Korea has long been targeted by conventional and non-conventional weapons. The real war would be over in a matter of minutes.
The boats wouldn’t be used for launching an assault as much as for sending troops that would secure the ports in order to ensure the eventual flow of food aid, sending troops who will attempt to disarm pockets of North Korean soldiers terrorizing the general population and those who are unaware that they’ve lost the war, and prevent work-camp guards from executing the prisoners.