Live firing of AT-1K Raybolt anti-tank guided missile from a K-153C ATGM carrier.
“This year’s first brigade-level wargame was concluded today at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC).
Soldiers assigned to the 12th Infantry Brigade “Twin Dragon,” 1st Infantry Division was pitched against a dedicated OpFor unit in a combined arms wargame covering various scenarios between Feb 22nd and today.
This year marks the first operational use of the 1st Infantry Division’s recently-fielded K808 wheeled armored personnel carriers.
KCTC was expanded to accommodate brigade-level training just few years ago, and can host 8-13 wargames per year. It appears that this year will be very busy for staff and soldiers assigned to KCTC as various units are already scheduled until the end of the year to participate in wargames and training evolutions.”
Republic of Korea Air Force - KF-X Prototype
“As of now, 8 prototype aircraft are being assembled simultaneously and four of them are already in late or final stages. 6 will be used for flight testing while 2 will be used for ground testing. 2 prototypes will be two-seater variants.
The first prototype aircraft is about 92% assembled and will be unveiled in April. First flight is expected to occur on July, 2022 following a year of ground testing. 2nd 3rd prototypes will finish assembly by the end of the year and 4th ~ 6th by next year. Overall development is scheduled to be completed by 2026 following operational deployment of KF-X.
As of first prototype aircraft, localization rates of four “core technology” are as follows:
AESA Radar: 89%
IRST: 37%
EO TGP: 82%
EW Suite: 77%
Lastly, KF-X will reportedly be painted same color as ROKAF’s F-15K (dark grey).KF-X is a 4.5th gen fighter jet being developed by Korea Aerospace Industries in partnership with Lockheed Martin for the Republic of Korea Air Force. Featuring dimension of 16.9m x 4.7m x 11.2m, KF-X is larger than F-16 and is of similiar size as F-18. Development of KF-X began in earnest on January 2016 and the assembly process began in 2019 after Critical Design Review (CDR) was completed in 2018. KF-X will operate alongside more advanced F-35A in ROKAF inventory.”
This still image of Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) striking a maritime target was released by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).
Although KTSSM was developed as surface-to-surface weapon against North Korean bunker complexes along the DMZ, this kind of test hints at a possible anti-ship application as an Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM).
UAE defense officials will be in South Korea soon, reportedly to negotiate sales of Cheongung KM-SAM Block-II missile interceptor and Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM).
UAE forces have urgent need to increase its missile defense capability against short-range ballistic missile such as the SS-21 Scarab and SCUDs.
While UAE operates Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T and Patriot PAC-3 MSE, they are either no longer in production (former) or very costly (latter). In addition, Patriot batteries have poor mobility, making protection of forward-deployed units difficult. As such, UAE is said to be looking for a more cost-effective and more maneuverable solution.
KM-SAM Block-I and Block-II missiles are said to cost around 1/4~1/3 and 1/3~1/2 of Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles, respectively. The lack of trailer also makes KM-SAM battery more mobile than the Patriot batteries, as testified by South Korean military (which operates both weapon system).
KM-SAM's Multifunction Radar (MFR), however, was not designed to oprate in hot desert condition. As such, its MFR had to be modified.
Back in 2019, UAE was reported to be interested in South Korea's KTSSM bunker-buster missile. Since then, that interest seems to have developed into an actual intent of purchase.
As an operator of K239 Chunmoo MLRS, UAE forces will be able to utilize existing platforms to launch KTSSM and engage hostile cave networks.
Soldiers of the 101st Battalion, 8th Mechanized Infantry Division recently conducted a week-long field exercise to hone their skills with K21 IFVs.
First close-up look at the Vietnamese VCM-01 anti-ship cruise missile.
Seen here are the missile's launch tubes and rocket casings being manufactured at Factory Z189. The missile's internal radar, sensors, & other electronic components are produced separately by the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group.
The VCM-01 is a continuation of the KCT-15 missile project, itself based upon the Russian Kh-35. Some aspects are differ from the original Russian missile - for starters, Vietnam is negotiating with South Korea for the technology transfer of SSE-750K turbojet engines normally used in the Korean SSM-700K Haeseong missile.
In May, 2018, K2 Black Panther main battle tank conducted a month-long +600km endurance & live fire test in the deserts of Oman.
Turkish Altay MBT, derivative of the K2, suffered an engine failure and the German Leopard 2A6 was bogged down in a Wadi (dry riverbed) during an earlier testing. Meanwhile, K2 Black Panther successfully finished the trial without major issues.
Oman's military was reportedly highly satisfied with the K2, but the decision-making process has been slow due to internal bureaucracy and now COVID-19 pandemic.
While the bilateral agremeent is still being processed, Hyundai Rotem is modifying the K2 to better fit Oman's requirements. This includes heavy-duty air conditioning, intake filter, side skirt and increased IED protection up to STANAG Level 3 using lightweight (1 ton) Ceramic Matrix Composites armor.
If the K2 deal is finalized, Oman's Army will reportedly also purchase 10 K600 Combat Engineer Vehicle from Hyundai Rotem.
Source: Military Review / 밀리터리 리뷰
F-16D PBU Fighting Falcon serial number 84-373 became the first F-16 in ROKAF history to log 10,000 flight hours. USAF reportedly has 6 F-16 with the same milestone.
373 was among the first F-16 to be acquired by South Korea, having begun operation out of Daegu Air Base in 1986.
Over the 34 years, 373 flew 7,400,000km.
First photo: F-16 84-373 photographed at Osan AB in October, 1989. Photo by Kevin Patrick on F-16.net
Second photo: F-16 84-373 photographed at Chungju AB on May, 2020.
While South Korea won't be developing a new service rifle any time soon, it is improving lethality of existing service rifles and survivability of individual soldiers through the Warrior Platform program.
Currently in its first phase, Warrior Platform gear are being distributed to members of the Army Special Warfare Command. By mid 2020s, all combat unit will benefit from the Warrior Platform program as it goes through multiple phases focused on different tiers of units.
𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: https://i.imgur.com/bKG6utB.jpg - Greyed out graphic means the ship is under construction or has been ordered. - Number of Chamsuri-class patrol boat and UH-1H Huey are rough estimates. - Shilouette of Singiwon-class AGS is a stand-in since no photo of the ship is available.
United Nations Command returned 55 cases of remains from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea on the 65th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency personnel are preparing the remains for transfer back to the United States. U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) I U.S. Embassy Seoul I U.S. Indo-Pacific Command I U.S. Department of State
공정통제사(CCT)가 수송기에게 목표지점에 대한 정보를 제공해줍니다.
U.S. and Korean marines think they've found a way to maintain a long-distance relationship. Commanders say Koreans get constant training in new equipment, tactics and procedures, while the Americans get mountain warfare and cold-weather training as well as experience in live fire, combined arms and maneuvers.
United States Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrives at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Feb. 2, 2017. Mattis took his first official visit to a foreign country as secretary of defense in support of the U.S.’s ironclad commitment to stand by allied nations like the #ROK in the face of common threats.
A goal of #SecDef Mattis’ visit to the ROK is to showcase what warm, respectful and mutually supportive relations between democracies can accomplish when guided by a spirit of collaboration in support of peace and prosperity.