Posted on 11/07/2017 8:07:42 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
SEOUL: South Korea is negotiating with the United States to buy nuclear-powered submarines to guard against threats from Pyongyang, local reports said Tuesday, as President Donald Trump said Seoul would buy "billions of dollars" of US weapons.
Nuclear-powered submarines can stay submerged for months, giving them a far greater range than their diesel-powered counterparts, and are also crucial to any seaborne nuclear deterrent.
Such a purchase would redraw the balance of power in northeast Asia, and could trigger a regional arms race.
Japan -- another US ally -- does not have nuclear-powered submarines, and is barred from having a military under its post-World War II pacifist constitution.
And while China's increasingly powerful navy does include them in its fleet, Beijing would undoubtedly be infuriated by any such acquisition by Seoul.
After a summit in South Korea with his counterpart Moon Jae-In, Trump on Tuesday said Seoul would be buying a large amount of US weapons "whether it's planes, whether it's missiles, no matter what it is".
(Excerpt) Read more at newindianexpress.com ...
Tongil!
South Korean boomers? Chinese ain’t gonna like that idea one bit. XD
They don’t need a nuclear submarine.
Ping
“South Korean boomers? Chinese ain’t gonna like that idea one bit. XD”
Trump is “negotiating!” He’s probably telling Xi that unless China helps end the NK nuclear/ ICBM programs, he will have “no choice” but to give SK a nuclear sub or two.
I’m thinking it wouldn’t be boomers, but attack boats with the possibility of nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. But in any case, I’m thinking this is a Trump negotiating ploy. From a regional forces standpoint, I’m thinking SK would be better off with 2-3 AIP boats for the price of one nuclear boat.
Gonna sell them 688 class attack submarines, not Ohio Class SSBNs. THOSE should be sold to Israel.
South Korea and Japan can go to a self developed nuclear power in about 180 days if it had to. If we supplied bomb casings, they could do it in 90.
Methinks we give them a couple of the first block of 688 subs that are rusting at Bremerton awaiting defueling and mothballing. I hope we never sell an SSBN except only to Israel.
FYI...SSN is significantly smaller than most SSGN or SSBNs.
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