Final design of South Korea’s light aircraft carrier

The carrier is based on the America-class and British Queen Elizabeth-class. It will not have a ski-jump or well deck like USS America. It will have two islands similiar to the British carrier. While one island is for navigating the ship and the other for flight deck control. The South Koreans are adopting two islands so that one island can still operate the ship if the other is damaged during an attack. 

The aircraft elevators are both on the starboard side. This approach was chosen in order to give more space to the flight deck. The carrier will not have an organic airborne early warning capability, the task force will rely on a destroyer with powerful radar to scan the skies while F-35Bs will provide additional air surveillance coverage if necessary. 

Concept mirrors the Italian approach that will be practice on ITS Cavour. For protection against airborne threats, the ship will be armed with a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) and the Surface-to-Air Anti-Missile (SAAM) from LIG Nex1. 

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South Korea Navy Studying Operating F-35 from Dokdo Class Assault Ships

South Korea's Navy has put up a public notice of tender for a research project to explore the possibility of operating F-35B stealth aircraft aboard its amphibious landing ship, officials said Friday.
Last Friday, the Navy initiated the tender through an electronic defense procurement system of the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration, citing moves by neighboring countries to consider running F-38Bs aboard their warships.
The project seeks to study the possible remodeling of the country's 14,000-ton Dokdo-class vessel to host the F-35B fighter, a short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the U.S.-made fifth-generation warplane. The research is set to end by Dec. 15.
Observers speculated that the Navy might seek to run the F-35B on the Marado warship that is currently under construction and slated to be deployed in 2020.
The existing Dokdo ship is seen as capable of operating only transport helicopters because its deck is not made of materials that can withstand high temperatures caused by fighter jet operations.
In 2014, Seoul decided to purchase 40 F-35A fighters for deployment from 2018 through 2021 at a cost of 7.3 trillion won (US$6.4 billion). The F-35A is the fighter's air force variant, while the F-35B and F-35C are for marines and aircraft carrier-based operations, respectively.
There has been speculation that Seoul may consider introducing several F-35Bs as it may have to purchase additional warplanes due to a shortage of warplanes that could occur in the coming years with the decommissioning of F-4s and F-5s.
Japanese media have reported that Tokyo's Maritime Self-Defense Force is considering purchasing F-35Bs for its large escort ships.
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Lockheed Martin details Plan to supply former US Navy S-3B Viking to the South Korean Navy.

The work would see 12 S-3B's removed from long-term storage in the Arizona desert and updated with new equipment.
Lockheed says the type has a number of attributes that make it suitable for a return to active service. The type was retired mainly owing to the absence of a submarine threat to US carrier battle groups with the end of the Cold War, as well as the navy's desire to narrow the number of aircraft types operating from carriers.
Lockheed estimates that the S-3B airframes in storage still have around 10-12,000hrs flying time remaining.
The aircraft's cockpits would not require upgrading, but that several systems would. The aircraft's metalic anomaly detector would need to be updated from analogue to digital technology. Other work would involve the aircraft's sonobuoys and ESM equipment. Given South Korea's interest in developing its aerospace capabilities, any work to upgrade the aircraft would all but certainly be undertaken in South Korea.
The aircraft would operate with a four man crew, and would be capable of carrying a mix of four torpedoes and/or anti-shipping missiles.
The initial requirement for the type appears to be 12 aircraft.
Although the S-3B no longer serves aboard US aircraft carriers, the US navy's VX-30 test and evaluation squadron still operates the type in support roles.
flightglobal

South Korea Envisions Light Aircraft Carrier similar to Spanish Navy 'Juan Carlos I', to buy retired S-3 'Viking'

The South Korean Navy believes it can deploy two light aircraft carriers by 2036 and expand its blue-water force to cope with the rapid naval buildups of China and Japan, according to a Navy source.
The service has been exploring ways of securing light aircraft carriers based on an interim feasibility study.
The South Korea Navy envisions three phases:

■The first is to equip the second ship of the Dokdo-class landing platform helicopter ship (LPH) with a ski ramp to operate short-range or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
The flight surface of the landing ship is already sprayed with urethane, which can withstand the heat created by the aircraft during operations.
Dokdo, with the addition of a ski ramp, could be deployed before 2019, according to the report, which suggests the Navy procure used VTOL jets from the US, UK and Spain if needed.
■Second, the Navy could build an amphibious assault ship, similar to the Spanish Navy’s Juan Carlos, before 2019.
■Finally, the service aims to build two 30,000-ton light aircraft carriers between 2028 and 2036, the report said. The carrier is to have specifications similar to the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, which can support about 30 aircraft.
China commissioned its first aircraft carrier last year, with three more carriers planned. Japan, whose Navy is classed as a self-defense force, has controversially unveiled a 20,000-ton helicopter destroyer akin to a small aircraft carrier.

More Aegis Ships and Jets
During the National Assembly last week, the Navy unveiled mid- to long-term procurement plans to further strengthen its naval power.
The service plans to commission three more 7,600-ton KDX-III Aegis destroyers by 2023 to develop a strategic mobile fleet. The service has three KDX-III destroyers fitted with Lockheed Martin-built SPY-1D radar capable of tracking incoming ballistic missiles and enemy aircraft.
The Navy also puts a priority on acquiring reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft. In particular, the service laid out plans to buy the Lockheed S-3 Vikings retired from front-fleet service aboard aircraft carriers by the US Navy in January 2009.
The service will purchase 18 S-3 jets and modify them into a new configuration meeting the Navy’s operational requirements. If adopted, it will be the first fixed-wing jet patrol aircraft operated by the South Korean Navy, which flies 16 P-3CK turboprop patrol aircraft.
In January, AgustaWestland won a $560 million contract to supply the South Korean Navy with six AW159 Lynx Wildcat helicopters equipped with an active dipping sonar for anti-submarine role.
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South Korea Navy wants 3 more Aegis ships

South Korea Navy has requested three more Aegis destroyers to strengthen the country’s defense against North Korea and to cover territorial disputes in the region.
If the plan gets the go ahead, the ships will be built between 2020 and 2025.
Under a Navy buildup project started in 2004 to bolster defense against North Korea, South Korea began to build Aegis destroyers and currently has three 7,600-ton warships ― the King Sejong the Great, the Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong and the Yulgok Yi I.
However, the Navy has sought to increase its fleet to cope with rising regional tension in the wake of North Korea’s third nuclear test conducted earlier this year and ongoing territorial disputes between China and Japan.
In addition, a growing arms race in the region is also behind the request.
China deployed its first aircraft carrier to the eastern port city of Qingdao in September last year, while Japan unveiled its biggest warship since World War II, the huge flat-top “destroyer” Izumo that can carry up to 14 helicopters, pushing the Korean Navy to come up with countermeasures.
A 166-meter-long Aegis destroyer is equipped with the latest radar system as well as missiles and torpedoes in vertical launch systems. With 300 crew members, it can also carry two mid-sized helicopters and sail at a top speed of 30 knots with a range of 1,000 kilometers.
koreatimes

South. Korea to deploy new surface-to-air missiles for Aegis destroyers

South Korea will arm its Aegis destroyers with the surface-to-air Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) starting 2016 as part of efforts to bolster its missile defense against North Korean threats.
yonhapnews

South Korea to buy 20 maritime patrol aircraft

The South Korean military has approved a plan to buy 20 maritime patrol aircraft to improve the Navy's surveillance capabilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has recently approved the Navy's request to add 20 maritime patrol aircraft to supplement the aging squadron of 16 Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions.
Among the potential candidates are Airbus Military's C-295 MPA, Boeing's P-8 Poseidon, Lockheed Martin's SC-130J Sea Hercules
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KAI to develop a dedicated version of its Surion helicopter for ROK Navy's Dokdo class LPH

Korea Aerospace Industries, Inc. develops the amphibious task helicopter for the Korea's Marine Corps will run. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on the 17th that it held its 66th defense project promotion committee and selected KAI as a priority negotiator for the development of the amphibious task helicopter system.
The project, totaling approximately 800 billion won is designed for securing the helicopter which is able to transport the armed forces, military equipment and supplies to improve the military's 3-dimensional high-speed landing operations performance.

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Royal Navy Wildcat makes flight debut

The UK Ministry of Defence has released images showing the first flight of a production example of the Royal Navy's new AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 helicopter.

Performed from the airframer's Yeovil production site in Somerset, the milestone was reached by aircraft ZZ397, which was previously due to have been accepted by the navy in mid-December 2012.

AgustaWestland will produce 28 Wildcats for the RN and 34 for the British Army under a programme worth more than £1.6 billion ($2.5 billion), with the type to enter use with the services in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The manufacturer will also deliver training and support services under a £250 million agreement signed during 2012.

Also being marketed to potential international customers as the AW159, the Wildcat won its first export competition in January 2013, when the South Korean navy selected the type for an initial eight-aircraft requirement. A contract signature for the roughly $560 million deal is expected soon, with deliveries sought from 2015.

South Korea to Buy Seahawks from U.S.

The Navy announced on Tuesday that it plans to buy eight advanced multi-purpose helicopters from the U.S.

The eight MH-60R Seahawk choppers will cost a total of US$554 million. They can reach speeds of up to 267 km per hour and can be used for search and rescue operations as well as a range of warfare operations.

Seoul wants to procure them to contain threats from North Korean submarines and naval vessels, according to military sources.

nosint
english.chosun

South Korea Claims To Have Found North’s Rocket Debris As Pyongyang Celebrates Success

South Korea’s Navy is claiming it retrieved debris from a long-range rocket that North Korea launched on Wednesday, while Pyongyang’s state media reported mass rallies to celebrate the launch.

ibtimes