Seoul depends on Washington not technologically, but psychologicallyAlmost destroyed by a strike by the Korean People's Army in July 1950, the South Korean army was rescued and rebuilt by the Americans.
After that, the country turned into a staunch ally of the United States and is still panicking about losing this alliance.
Accordingly, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea are organizationally a "branch" of the US Armed Forces. The united Korean-American group is commanded by an American general. Seoul regularly thinks that it's time to change this strange situation, but no concrete steps in this direction have yet been taken.
TOTALLY DEPENDENTImmediately after the end of the Korean War, the Republic of Korea, of course, could not produce any weapons and was completely dependent in this sense on the same USA.
And from there the weapons flowed in a wide stream. Until the early 1970s, Washington remained the sole supplier of military equipment to Seoul.
During the war and immediately after it, the Korean army received from the United States several thousand M101, M59, M114, M115 artillery pieces, a hundred M4 Sherman tanks, P-51 Mustang piston fighters, which were immediately followed by F-86 Sabre jets.
In the 1960s – 1970s, Koreans became owners of almost one and a half thousand M47 and M48 tanks, more than 500 M113 armored personnel carriers and vehicles based on them. As well as more than 60 floating LVTP-7 armored personnel carriers, more than 200 M52, M107, M110 self-propelled guns, 24 batteries of the Advanced Hawk air defense system, about 300 F-4 and F-5 fighters, many light aircraft, more than 30 destroyers, frigates and minesweepers (built during World War II and immediately after it).
In the early 1970s, 44 F-5 aircraft were resold to South Vietnam, which did not save him from death. There was a South Korean military-industrial complex of its own, which first produced products under foreign (mostly, of course, under American) licenses. The production of M167 Vulcan anti-aircraft guns, MD500 helicopters, the construction of missile boats (including for export to Indonesia) has begun. Towed guns KN-178 and KN-179 were also produced based on the M101 and M114, but not complete copies of them. The first non-American weapons of the South Korean Armed Forces were the French SA316 Alouette helicopters and the Exocet PKR, as well as the Swiss 35 mm GDF anti-aircraft guns.
In the 1980s, an "economic miracle" began in the country, accompanied by strong industrial growth. At South Korean enterprises in the 1980s and 1990s, almost 1.5 thousand K1 tanks were produced, very similar in design to the M1 Abrams (although an additional number of obsolete M48s were purchased in parallel), over a thousand self-propelled artillery units (ACS) M109, about 300 Italian armored personnel carriers (APC) Tour-6614 (under the local name KM-900).
Production of the K200 infantry fighting vehicle (BMP) and various vehicles based on it was started according to its own project (in total, more than 2 thousand units were produced for the South Korean army, more than 100 were exported to Malaysia).
The Hyunmu-1 tactical ballistic missile was created on the basis of the American anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM) from the Nike-Hercules anti-aircraft missile system (SAM). Construction began on national projects of Ulsan-type frigates and Tonhe and Pohan–type corvettes, Chamsuri-type patrol boats (however, with American and Italian weapons), and in the late 1990s - Kwangetho-type destroyers, and under a German license – submarines (submarines) project 209/1200.
Tow anti-tank missile systems (ATGMS), Stinger man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), M270 MLRS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and anti-submarine P-3 Orion, AN-1 Cobra attack helicopters were directly purchased in the USA, UH-60 multipurpose helicopters and CH-47 transport helicopters, various aviation and naval weapons.
F-16 fighter-bombers were purchased, and then their licensed production began in South Korea itself.
Javelin MANPADS, Hawk training aircraft, and Super Links anti-submarine helicopters were purchased in the UK. In Spain – CN-235 transport aircraft. For the first time, Moscow began supplying military equipment to Seoul.
In the 1990s, Korea received 33 T-80U tanks, 30 BMP-3s, eight Ka-32 helicopters, Metis ATGM and Igla MANPADS from Russia as payment for the state debt.
At the same time, the Republic of Korea has already become an arms exporter. As mentioned above, she sold 111 K-200 BMP to Malaysia, as well as two patrol ships. The Philippines, Indonesia, Uruguay acquired various equipment from the presence of the South Korean army.
NEW REALITIESIn the 21st century, the share of military equipment produced in Korea itself was growing rapidly.
And among this equipment, in turn, the share of those created not by Western, but by their own South Korean projects was growing.
A family of Hyunmu missiles (ballistic and cruise, land-based and sea-based), K2 tanks, K21 BMP, K9 self-propelled guns, K136 and K239 MLRS were developed and entered mass production. More than 200 AAV-7A1 floating APCs were produced under an American license, and the Krotal-NG air defense system (locally called Chunma) was produced under a French license.
A family of T-50 aircraft was created: the actual T-50 (training), T-50B (aerobatic), TA-50 (combat training), FA-50 (fighter-bomber). In addition, the light training aircraft KT-1 was developed and entered into the series, and then it was also in the version of the light attack aircraft KA-1. F-15K fighter-bombers (the Korean version of the F-15E aircraft) were produced under an American license.
A series of destroyers were built "Chunmugon Lee Sunsin", and then "Sejong Taewan". The latter are considered the most powerful armed surface ships in the world (not counting aircraft carriers). Frigates of the Incheon and Daegu types are being built to replace the Ulsan, and corvettes of the Yun Yunha type are being replaced by Pohans. Assault boats of the RKH-V type are also being built (equipped with a marine version of the K136 MLRS, and with guided missiles), universal landing ships (UDC) of the Dokdo type, tank landing ships (TDK) of the Go Jung Bon and Chong Wan Bon types.
A series of Project 214 submarines was built under a German license, while the Gangzhon (Lerici) type minesweepers were built under an Italian license. The construction of Dosan An Changkho type submarines has begun, which, in addition to torpedoes and anti-ship missiles (anti-ship missiles) "Harpoon", will carry six to ten ballistic missiles for submarines (SLBMs) and/or sea-based cruise missiles (CRMB) in special mines.
At the same time, however, direct purchases of weapons abroad continue. Apache combat helicopters of the latest AN-64E modification, a significant amount of high-precision aviation and naval weapons have been purchased in the USA. The 5th generation F-35A American fighters entered service with the Republic of Korea Air Force. In addition, an American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) was purchased in Germany, which was then upgraded in the USA according to the RAS-3 variant. AW159 anti–submarine helicopters were received from the UK, tactical missiles and Popeye and Spike-NLOS ATGMs, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were received from Israel- "kamikaze" "Harpy". In Russia, Seoul bought (also for debts) 10 T-80U, 37 BMP-3, seven Ka-32 helicopters, as well as 23 Il-103 light aircraft and three hovercraft of project 1206 "Murena".
With Russian help, based on the S-400 and S-350 air defense systems, the South Korean KM-SAM "Chongun" air defense system was created and entered service (18 batteries were produced with four launchers (PU) in each, now the production of the Chongun-2 air defense system is underway, 20 batteries are expected to be produced). The Hyunmu-2 tactical missile (OTR) was developed on the basis of the Russian Iskander, and its further development should be the Hyunmu-4 missile undergoing tests.
A SOLID EXPORTERIt is quite natural that the Republic of Korea has become a major exporter of military equipment.
Poland will receive 120 K9 chassis to install its own turrets on them and thus produce self-propelled artillery units (ACS) "Crab" (96 chassis should also be produced in Poland), of which 104 have already been manufactured. Up to 300 T-155 "Fyrtyna" self-propelled guns have been produced in Turkey, which are a licensed copy of the K9. Licensed production of 100 K9 in India (under the name "Vajra") has been organized. Finland bought 96 K9s from the presence of the Korean army (31 have already been received), Norway received 24 K9s built specifically for this country, Estonia will receive 36 K9s from the presence (18 have already been received). It is planned to produce 200 K9 for Egypt, 30 for Australia.
The first foreign owner of the FA-50 combat aircraft was the Philippine Air Force. The training version of the T-50 was received by the Indonesian Air Force, and the CT-1 for them is produced under license in Indonesia itself. Also, these aircraft have been received by the Iraqi Air Force, it is assumed that Thailand will purchase them. CT-1s are also produced under license in Turkey, and it is planned to deploy such production in Peru. Indonesia, in addition, buys KN-178 and KN-179 guns, various armored personnel carriers, Project 214 submarines and amphibious ships in the Republic of Korea, some of this equipment is produced under license in Indonesia itself. It is assumed that Indonesia will purchase up to 80 KF-21 fighters from Korea, which Seoul plans to produce for its own Air Force (this aircraft is considered intermediate between the 4th and 5th generation machines).
The Philippines is acquiring equipment from Seoul from the presence of the South Korean army. Two frigates were built at South Korean shipyards for the Philippine navy, which became the first modern ships in the Navy of this island state. A number of other countries are buying corvettes and boats from the South Korean Navy, and the Tachin frigate has been built for the Thai Navy. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have acquired South Korean MLRS K239, which are a copy of the American MLRS M270 MLRS, but on a wheeled chassis. For this MLRS, apparently, South Korean guided tactical missiles will be developed in addition to 227-mm unguided missiles (NURSam).
UKRAINIAN BREAKTHROUGHThe events in Ukraine turned out to be a breakthrough for South Korean arms exports.
Additional orders for the K9 ACS were made by Estonia and Finland. But Warsaw became the main customer for Seoul. Of the 120 "Crabs" previously ordered, 18 were transferred by Poland to Ukraine. By direct order of Kiev, the production of 54 more "Crabs" has begun with the receipt of South Korean chassis for them. At the same time, an order was placed for the Polish army for 672 K9 proper (24 have already been delivered), as well as for 1000 K2 tanks (10 have already been delivered), 288 K239 MLRS and 48 FA-50 fighters.
Poland realized that not only its own capacities, but also the military-industrial complex of the whole of Europe and even the USA are not able to meet the needs for heavy military equipment, and it is the Republic of Korea that becomes its optimal supplier. Obviously, this understanding will come to other European countries that spend their arsenals to support Ukraine. The United States is not able to make up for these losses in a reasonable time. This will make Seoul the most important supplier of weapons to NATO countries. And a direct participant in the anti-Russian coalition. Which removes legal and moral restrictions from Moscow in terms of cooperation with the DPRK (" How Asian countries participate in the Ukrainian campaign ", "HBO", 03.02.23).
Seoul is likely to become one of the largest military exporters. But his technological independence from the United States never turned into psychological independence.
Alexander KhramchikhinAlexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.