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Posted by Monitor on June 26, 2009, 12:16 pm
S.Korea to Boost Surgical Strike Capability Against N.Korea
June-27-2009
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter The Korea Times
The South Korean military plans to speed up efforts to deploy ground,
air and naval weapons systems for use in strikes against key
facilities in North Korea in the event of war, the Ministry of
National Defense said Friday.
The plan is part of a revised version of a military modernization
package. The ministry unveiled the revision of the Defense Reform 2020
initiative drawn up in 2005.
The updated plan is focused on securing independent capabilities to
remove North Korea's asymmetrical military threat of nuclear and
missile programs by deploying sophisticated surveillance,
reconnaissance and striking assets.
In the case of an emergency, the military could conduct pre-emptive
strikes against nuclear and missile facilities, an official at the
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
``That depends on a decision by the leadership,'' the official told
reporters on condition of anonymity.
Under an integrated defense mechanism, the Air Force's multi-purpose
satellite, early warning aircraft and high-altitude unmanned aerial
vehicles, along with a ground-based early warning radar, conduct
surveillance and reconnaissance missions around the clock, according
to the defense reform plan.
Once signs of unusual movement, such as missile and nuclear tests, are
detected, F-15K and other advanced aircraft are to conduct surgical
strikes against the relevant facilities, it says.
Both ship-based and ground-based interceptors are ready to shoot down
missiles from the North, it says.
The military is considering the introduction of up-to-date SM-6
extended range active missiles, which are being developed by the U.S.
Navy and Raytheon, the JCS official said.
The purchase of the PAC-3 missile interceptor system is also under
consideration, he said.
The Army, for its part, will triple the number of its K-9 self-
propelled howitzers and next-generation multiple launch rocket systems
to counter attacks by North Korea's long-range artillery deployed near
the border.
About 15 trillion won ($11.6 billion) will go towards producing and
deploying about 1,000 K-9 and new multiple launch rocket systems by
2020, said the JCS official.
The North is believed to have about 1,100 long-range artillery
systems, including 60-kilometer-range 240mm rocket launchers, along
the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
Under the revised plan, the military has readjusted its target troop
reduction number to 517,000. The original plan called for cutting the
troop level from 690,000 to 500,000 by 2020.
For example, the military has decided to decrease the number of Marine
force cuts from 4,000 to 3,200, in a bid to boost defense against
North Korea's provocation in the volatile western waters.
The military has also decided to withdraw a plan to slash the number
South Korean service members supporting the U.S. Army here, called
Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army (KATUSA).
In an Army restructuring plan, five regional corps and two mechanized
corps will be operated separately from three specialized commands for
air operations, guided missiles and special operations.
The Capital Defense Command in Seoul will serve as the regional corps
responsible for the defense of the capital area after merging with the
Capital Defense Corps currently based in Gyeonggi Province.
The Army will maintain 28 divisions in peacetime. In case of an
emergency, the number will increase to 38 with the reinforcement of
reserved troops
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/06/116_47542.html
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