R.O.Korea Navy News
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The nation's top two heavy industries - Hyundai and Daewoo -
are now engaged in a virtual war over the right to build
submarines.
The war began when the Defense Ministry, reversing its
earlier position, decided to introduce free competition into
the submarine market, which had hitherto been monopolized by
Daewoo.
Daewoo has been building submarines exclusively since 1987
under the ministry's submarine projects. It has also been
offering bids for the ``SSU project'' for manufacturing of
six submarines worth 1.8 trillion won.
An envious Hyundai attempted to break up Daewoo's monopoly,
claiming the ministry afforded special treatment to Daewoo.
It even threatened to file a suit against the defense
minister, thus prompting the ministry to announce the opening
up of competition on Dec. 22.
Related business concerns interpreted the decision as an
announcement for Hyundai's participation in the project given
that no other domestic firms have the capability to construct
the war ships.
Daewoo immediately lashed out at the ministry's decision,
criticizing both the the ministry and Hyundai.
In a press conference convened at the Hilton Hotel, Daewoo
Heavy Industries president Shin Young-kyun said, ``The
decision (for free competition) totally conflicts with the
government's drive toward corporate restructuring. For
Hyundai to take part in the project, it will need to pour 150
to 200 billion won into facility investment.''
He asserted that Daewoo has never gotten special treatment
from the government in the process of pursuing the submarine
project. ``The project has been subject to intensive
inspection from the ministry, National Assembly and related
authorities.''
Critics also noted that the decision constitutes a typical
case of overlapping investment. The two-tiered system will
lead both Daewoo and Hyundai to submit dumping prices to get
orders, worsening their managerial status.
Daewoo, for its part, will face difficulties in maintaining
its 500 expert employees should it fail to secure enough work
due to Hyundai's advancement into the area.
Most foreign nations, in particular Britain, Germany, France,
Sweden and the Netherlands, have been moving to merge
existing submarine makers.
``Daewoo has already completed the basis for domestic
production of 1,700 kinds of submarine components and
possesses the technologies needed for design, production and
quality management,'' said a Daewoo official.
Hyundai asserts it will be able to convert their merchant
ship-building facilities to allow them to construct
submarines. But critics cast doubt over that assertion,
saying such a conversion is unprecedented in the world.
Regarding the concerns over the amount it needs to invest,
Hyundai said it has already invested 59.8 billion won toward
the submarine project in its special business division.``Now
we need an additional 19.9 billion won for the project,''
said a Hyundai official.
He went on to say that Hyundai was already named as a
specialized submarine maker by the ministry in 1991. ``We
simply have failed to get orders so far,'' he added.
Korea Naval Academy cadets yesterday returned from an annual around-the-world tour to
their home port of Chinhae. They were welcomed by their families upon arrival aboard the
1,800-ton frigate Seoul-ham and the 8,000-ton support ship Taechong-ham after 68-days of
sailing.
The fleet made port calls in eight countries, including in China, Singapore, Russia,
Bangladesh, Brunei, the Philippines and Japan.
During the cruise, the fleet saved four Brunei sailors in distress from a wrecked ship at
seas near the Philippines and gave donations to a Bangladesh orphanage, a Navy spokesman
said. This year's circumnavigation was shorter than those in previous years and limited to
mostly Southeast Asian nations, due to the nation's economic difficulties.
The Defense Ministry said yesterday it will allow Hyundai Heavy Industries to participate
in a new submarine-building project, code-named SSU. It will also select a foreign
contractor to help in the project by October next year.
In my view: Going through my stuff Under the original plan, Daewoo and Germany's HDW were
to build half a dozen submarines for the SSU program, the official said. The Defense
Ministry previously preferred using Daewoo, citing that the company was more cost
effective.
In my view: Going through my stuff However, Hyundai sued the ministry last November for
unfair trade practices when it virtually designated Daewoo and HDW as the main contractors
for the submarine program. "We have decided that allowing the two companies to participate
will enhance the quality of the submarines," said the official.
The ministry will select a foreign partner from among German, French, Russian and Swedish
companies, and a company which presents best price and promises technological transfer
will be chosen, he said. Daewoo is building 1,200-ton submarines with the German
technology under a program that requires nine 209-class submarines for the Navy by the
year 2001.
A Daewoo official said that Hyundai's participating in the program will damage both the
companies. The Navy now has seven 209-class submarines, but wants larger ones with
advanced capabilities.
In late last year, the Defense Ministry shelved the SSU program, citing the nation's
economic plight. France's state-run DCN last year expressed a willingness to participate
in the two-trillion-won program, with Hyundai as its Korean partner.
A Navy official said the SSU program "is a stepping stone for SSX program to build
3,000-ton missile submarines." He said the existing 209-class submarines are efficient
weapons, but have limited operational capability.
Navy patrol boats sank a North Korean semi-submersible vessel yesterday in a gun battle
after a dramatic overnight chase off the south coast. The body of one suspected North
Korean agent was recovered later.
Troops along the south coast were on maximum alert as they hunted for other North Korean
spies who may have come ashore. Navy patrol ships searched the seas for wreckage and more
bodies. The Navy said it was also searching for a North Korean mother ship since such
small vessels do not make their way deep into South Korean waters on their own.
The spy vessel went down some 100km south of Yosu, South Cholla Province, at around 6:25
a.m. after being hit by South Korean naval shells nearly seven hours after it was first
spotted. A North Korean frogman, with a hand grenade in his pocket, was recovered at
around 8:10 a.m. He had sustained injuries to the head. No South Korean troops were
wounded in the pre-dawn chase, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Naval ships once approached the spy boat as close as 100 meters, demanding the crew to
surrender. But they ignored the warning and opened fire, slightly damaging a South Korean
Navy patrol boat. The spy boat sank after being hit by three 40-mm shells and five depth
charges.
"The successful chase is the result of a joint operation of the Navy, the Air Force and
the Army, plus the Maritime Police," said a spokesman of the JCS. The spy vessel was first
detected by the Army coast guard in Yosu some 2km off the coast through an infrared
optical device at around 11:15 p.m. Thursday. Four agents were seen aboard the spy boat,
which was approaching the shore.
Army and Maritime patrol boats rushed to the scene, but the spy boat fled southward. Navy
and Army radars tracked the vessel while eight navy patrol boats, P-3C and S-2E
anti-submarine aircraft and Lynk helicopters, chased it down. An Air Force CN-235 aircraft
dropped 170 flare bombs in the vicinity of the vessel, while a F-5 fighter hovered over
the area.
The JCS notified the Japanese military about the chase when the spy vessel started making
its way toward the open seas, . The vessel was sunk in waters some 110 meters deep. The
Navy sent two mine sweepers to the area to recover bodies and floating material from the
sunk vessel.
A Navy spokesman said it may take weeks to recover the wreckage of the spy vessel. It had
taken a month to recover a similar North Korean semi-submersible vessel that sank off the
coast of Pusan in December 1983, he added.
A JCS official said the spy vessel is usually carried by a mother ship, posing as a
fishing boat, near the South Korean coast. The mother ship usually weighs 50 to 100 tons.
The JCS said the submersible's mission was likely aimed at picking up or landing armed
North Korean agents in the South, explaining the alert in force across the southern
region.
The five-ton semi-submersible, which usually carries six crew, was typical of those used
by North Korea for covert operations here. Its home port is Nampo, a JCS official
presumed.The intrusion into South Korean waters is the latest since South Korea failed to
catch a similar spy boat in the shallow West Sea off the island of Kanghwa on Nov. 20.
The spy boat, on which four to five agents were seen aboard through an infrared optical
device, attempted to come ashore in the darkness. It wasn't chased after until four hours
after it was detected, and it eventually escaped. Six officers were punished for the
boat's escape.
The military brass breathed a sigh of relief in this latest spy boat incident, as popular
furor still remained high over a string of military incidents including an accidental
firing of an Air Force missile in Inchon.
In June, a North Korean spy submarine was captured in the South Korean waters off the east
coast. In July, a dead North Korean commando suspected of being a crew member of a North
Korean submersible craft was found on a beach on the East Coast.
North Korea routinely sends submersible infiltration vessels and submarines into South
Korean waters to gather intelligence data and to land armed spies, officials said.
해군에 인도될 국산 상륙함 3호인 향로봉함의 진수식이 30일 오전
11시 경남 마산 코리아타코마㈜에서 열렸다.
이날 진수식은 여성이 함정을 진수시키는 해군 관례에 따라 이지
두 합참차장의 부인 이정옥여사가 진수테이프를 끊었다.
기본설계에서 상세설계, 건조에 이르는 모든 과정이 순수 국산기술
로 이뤄진 향로봉함은 현재 해군이 보유중인 고준봉,비로봉과 동급인 2천
4백T규모의 전투 상륙함이다.
상륙군 2백40여명을 탑승시킬 수 있는 향로봉함은 주포 1문과 부포
2문, 대함레이더, 적아식별기 등 각종 전자전 장비외에 수륙양용전차,헬
기를 탑재해 대함 및 상륙작전 수행능력을 갖추고 있다.
6.25전쟁 당시 성공적인 인천상륙작전에 결정적인 역할을 했던 상
륙함보다 우수한 향로봉함의 진수로 해군의 전력증강에 크게 기여할 것으
로 보인다.
해군은 함정명을 정할 때 국민적 존경을 받는 인물이나 지명을 사
용하고, 상륙함은 지명도가 높은 산봉우리 이름을 빌려 사용하고 있다.
향로봉은 해발 1천2백93ｍ로 강원 고성 태백산맥 북부에 위치하고
있으며 6.25전쟁 당시 격전지로 유명하다.
지난해 특정업체와 수의계약키로 해 물의를 빚었던
차기 중형잠수함(ＳＳＵ)사업이 경쟁입찰 방식으로 진행된다. 유삼남
해군참모총장은 29일 계룡대 해군본부에서 열린 국회 국방위 국정감사
에서 "차기 중형잠수함 외국 사업자는 독일 업체를 고집하지 않고 경쟁
입찰 방식으로 선정하고 국내 업체도 방위산업 구조조정으로 지정되는
잠수함 전문업체에 생산을 맡길 계획"이라고 밝혔다.
차기 중형잠수함이 1500톤급으로 결정된 경위에 대해 유 총장은 "3
000톤급 잠수함은 우리의 독자적인 전략무기 탑재가 어려 워 1500톤으
로 결정했다"고 설명했다. 여당 의원들은 이날 2조원이 넘는 국고가 소
요되는 1500톤급 차기 중형잠수함 사업의 투명성 제고를 위해 경쟁입찰
제를 도입하 도록 촉구했다.
차기 중형잠수함 사업은 지난해말 국방부는 대우중공업과 수의계약
으로 추진하려다 경쟁업체인 현대측이 이의를 제기하자 도입 방식에
대한 전면 재검토에 들어갔다. 장영달 의원(국민회의)은 "대우중공업
과 독일 하데베사가 제시한 잠수함은 도입에 10년 이상 걸린다"며 "프
랑스와 스웨덴의 동 급 잠수함은 도입 즉시 실전배치가 가능함에도 굳
이 대우·독일과 계약하려는 이유가 무엇이냐"며 특혜 의혹을 제기했
다.
박상규 의원(국민회의)도 "올 1월 잠수함사업에 실질적으로 관여한
해군의 이모 준장이 예편한 뒤 불과 2개월만에 대우중공업의 잠수함
담당상무로 취업했다"고 지적했다. 이에 대해 대우중공업 관계자는 "
독일 하데베사와 계약한 당사자는 해군이며 대우중공업과는 직접적인
연관이 없다"며 유착설을 일축했다.
그는 "세계적인 추세가 1국 1개업체로 가고 있다"며 "중복·과잉투
자를 막고 안정적인 일감을 확보해주기 위해서도 이같은 추세 를 따라
야 할 것"이라고 말했다. 그러나 현대중공업 관계자는 "잠수함 사업이
국가적으로 경쟁력을 갖기 위해서는 경쟁체제로 가야한다"고 주장했
다.
그는 "수의계약으로 잠수함 건조단가가 지나치게 높아져 국가적으로
도 손실"이라며 "이를 시정하기 위해서는 경쟁입찰이 바람직하다 "고
지적했다.
금강산 관광선이 북측 수역에서 사고를
당할 경우 군사분계선 이북 30마일까지를 '남북
공동구조구역'으로 설정해 한국의 구조대를 북한 수역에 파견하는
방안이 남북간에 협의 중인 것으로 29일 밝혀졌다.
공동구조구역은 현대와 북한 아태평화위가 지난 8월
기본합의서에서 설정 원칙에 합의했고, 현재 구체적인 운용방안이
협의중이며 우리 당국은 관광선 조난시 해경과 해군을 비무장
상태로 투입하기를 희망하고 있는 것으로 알려졌다.
국회 국방위 해군본부 감사에서 유삼남 해군참모총장이
밝힌 '금강산 관광선 대책'에 따르면, 우리 당국은 관광선 운항
항로를 동해항∼장전항 바깥 12∼14마일 선으로 잡고 있으며,
호송방법은 경비함정이 옆에 따라붙는 근접호송이 아니라 우리쪽
레이더 기지에서 레이더로 관광선을 경호하는
'전탐(레이더) 호송'으로 가닥을 잡은 것으로 밝혀졌다.
유 총장은 "해군은 관광선의 항로이탈, 해상조난, 테러, 납치, 북괴
경비정에 의한 피랍, 북방한계선 근해 북괴군 발표 및 무력시위 등
발생가능한 모든 상황을 도출해 대비계획을 수립했다"고 말했다.
< 조선일보>
해군사관학교 4학년 생도들로 구성된
해군순항훈련부대가 22일 진해항을 출발, 68일간의 원양실습길에
올랐다.
해사 순항훈련부대는 국내 기술진에 의해 자체 건조된 호위함
「서울함」과 군수지원함인 「대청함」에 분승, 러시아와 홍콩,
싱가포르, 방글라데시, 말레이시아, 브루나이, 필리핀, 일본 등
8개국을 순방한 후 오는 12월28일 귀항할 예정이다.
생도들은 총 1만8백61마일을 항해하며 해상작전 능력을 높이기
위해 천문항해법및 전자항해법, 편대기동훈련, 대함.대공.대잠
훈련, 해상보급 훈련 등을 통해 해상전술을 연마하게 된다.
또 방문국에서 주요인사 예방과 해군부대 방문,친선 축구경기
등을 통해 우의를 다지고 함정 내부에 홍보 전시관을 마련, 한국
문화유산과 관광자원, 방산장비 등을해외에 널리 알리는 역할도
하게된다.
러시아와 방글라데시, 필리핀 등 3개국에서는 대한적십자사에서
마련한 학용품 1천8백세트를 우정의 선물로 나눠주고 수해를 겪은
방글라데시에는 재활용 의류 2천5백점을 전달할 계획이다.
해사는 지난 54년 9기생부터 원양실습을 처음 실시한 이래 그동안
아시아를 비롯해 유럽, 미주지역, 아프리카 등 전세계 해양으로
실습범위를 넓히면서 해군지휘관으로서 자질을 연마하고
국위선양에도 공헌했다.
대우중공업이 해군으로부터 수주, 지난 96년 12월 부터 본격적인 건조에 들어간 "양만춘"함은
길이 135m, 높이 36.5m, 폭 14.2m에 만재배수량 3885톤으로 총 286명의 승조원을 싣고 최고 30노트의
속력이 가능하다.
The event started as President Kim Dae-jung reviewed 21 foreign
warships aboard a Korean destroyer, King Kwanggaeto, at seas off
Chinhae.
The foreign warships include U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk and
nuclear-powered submarine Indianapolis. Other warships from the
United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, France, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Bangladesh, India and Singapore also participated
in the event.
The review, the first such event held in South Korea, was followed
by a demonstration of boat maneuvers, coastal infiltration and
withdrawal by helicopters demonstrations, air-escapes and vertical
drops by South Korean UDT and SEAL teams.
While the participating warships were moving toward Pusan, the event
continued with a review of 20 Korean naval aircraft and 40 warships,
and a demonstration of warship firepower.
Anti-submarine firings and a missile launch by Lynx helicopters
followed.
Thousands of citizens enjoyed watching the fleet review and the
maritime drill from Taejongdae on the southern tip of Pusan.
The participating warships, anchored in Pusan, are open to citizens
today to Friday.
Timed with the fleet review, the Western Pacific Naval Symposium is
being held from today to Thursday at Shilla Hotel in Seoul, with
naval leaders from 30 countries attending.
A naval concert is being held today at the Pusan Cultural Center,
and a street parade by the participating sailors is scheduled Friday
in downtown Pusan.
Foreign sailors will also visit the ancient capital city of Kyongju,
tour the industrial city of Ulsan and the truce village of Panmunjom
before they leave South Korea Saturday.
The torpedo is also lauded for tis low cost. Each torpedo costs only U$680,000, compared with German-made torpedoes(SUT) that cost
U$1.6million, the spokesman said.
Christened "white shark", the torpedo has been developed jointly by the state-run Agency for Defense Development, LG precision
and 13 other Korean companies. The development of the torpedo took eight years and cost 80 billion won.
The team has developed key technology for the electronic control, detection and motor propulsion needed for the torpedo, the spokeman said.
the Defebse Ministry also expect to earn income from the export of the torpedos.
South Korean naval type 209 "ChanBogo" class will be armed with the new torpedoes in the year 2000.
[korea herald news]
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[Dec.29,98] Daewoo, Hyundai Engage in Submarine Battle
An international fleet review was held yesterday along the coastline
between the southern port cities of Chinhae and Pusan, with about 60
naval vessels from 12 countries participating.
"1백년의 역사를 가진 미국 잠수함에서도 보기 힘든 성과로 한국해군의 짧은 잠수함역사를 고려할 때 '이종무함(SS066)'
의 전문성과 훈련수준은 눈부실정도로 뛰어나다고 생각합니다" 동해를 자기집처럼 드나드는 북한잠수함을 발견하지 못해 질타당한 해군이 최근 미국에서 날아온 한통의 편지에
크게 고무돼있다.
The "real" scenarios and action began to heat up Monday in preparation for the tactical part of RIMPAC 98.
Submarines and sub-hunting planes engaged in cat-and-mouse games at the begining of the week. The ROK Navy sub SS Lee jongmoo(SS 66) suffered a "mad-hit", meaning that
in an actual action battle the sub probably would have been sunk. [RIMPAC 98 site]
The Republic of Korea Navy will take delivery of its first KDX 1
destroyer ,King Kwanggaetto (DDH 971), from Daewoo Heavy Industries at the end of this month,from following the successful
completion of sea acceptance trials (SAT). [ Janes's News Briefs ]
Korea has successfully developed a self-guided torpedo for submarines,
the Defense Ministry announced yesterday. The 6 meter long, 1,100 kg torpedo travels at a maximum speed of 35 knots, or 63 km per hour,
and works on a "fire-and-forget" method unlike conventional torpedoes
that have to be wire-guided to their targets, a ministry spokeman said.