South Korea’s Navy Establishes Task Force Command
South Korea has dispatched a naval task force consisting of Aegis-class destroyers equipped with radar systems capable of detecting missiles with a range of up to 1,800 kilometers and ballistic missile interceptors to better respond to North Korea’s maritime provocations.
The South Korean Navy held a ceremony to establish the Fleet Task Force Command at the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong on the southern coast of Jeju Island on Monday.
“The task force will serve as a core force to contain and respond to North Korea’s maritime provocations and actively prepare to respond to emerging threats,” said Admiral Yang Yong-moo, South Korea’s Navy Chief of Operations, at the ceremony.
Its fleet consists of 10 Aegis destroyers such as the Daejeongju (8,200-ton class) and four logistic support ships such as the Soyang (10,000-ton class). It is planned to add two more Jeongju Daewang-class destroyers and six domestically produced destroyers by the mid-2030s.
Jeongju Dae Island detects North Korean missile launches using an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system with a detection range of 1,800 kilometers and can intercept incoming missiles using its terminal ballistic missile interceptor, known as the SM-6.
The fleet command, based at the Jeju Naval Base, is responsible for conducting flexible operations in all sea areas, while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Naval Fleets operate in designated areas in the East Sea, West Sea and South Sea, respectively. It will also conduct expanded operations in wider seas beyond South Korea’s maritime borders.
The Navy said this flexibility is expected to enhance combat capabilities by deploying more strategic forces.
Vice Admiral Kim In-ho was appointed as the commander of the task force.
“The fleet command will serve as a key strategic unit to protect South Korea’s sovereignty and maritime interests at all times and in all places,” Kim Jong-un said at the ceremony. “In the event of a conflict, we will ensure victory by using overwhelming force.”
Meanwhile, civic groups such as the Gangjeong Village Alliance and Save Jeju, as well as members of progressive political parties, protested in front of the Jeju Naval Base against the establishment of the fleet command.
Protesters claimed that the establishment of the Fleet Command would turn Jeju Island into an arsenal in Northeast Asia, demanding the abolition of the Fleet Command and the closure of the naval base on Jeju Island.
“The Aegis destroyers of the Fleet Task Force Command are equipped with SM-3 missiles and can be deployed to defend Guam, Japan and even the U.S. mainland,” a protester told reporters.
“The establishment of the Fleet Command will increase the scope and intensity of nuclear war exercises between allies, exacerbating the new Cold War dynamics between South Korea, the United States and Japan and North Korea.” “On the other side are China and Russia,” the protester added.
