Posted on 11/30/2010 6:45:38 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Gov't Mulls Turning Baeknyeong into Forward Deployment Base
The government is looking into using Baeknyeong Island in the West Sea as a forward-deployment base supporting marines in case of an amphibious landing on North Korea's west coast. "The presidential defense committee is looking into the possibility of turning the five West Sea islands including Baeknyeong into launching platforms for marine landings on North Korea's west coast in times of conflict and stationing strategic missiles with a range of some 500 km there," a government source said Monday.
If missiles with ranges of 300 km to 500 km are stationed on Baeknyeong, key North Korean government and military installations, including the central administrative complex, nuclear facilities, missile bases and air strips, will fall within tactical reach.
"The military has so far taken a passive approach to countering North Korean aggression, but the time has come to show the North that we are capable of countering their asymmetric threat," the source said. "The presidential committee presented an active suppression strategy as part of this plan."
Officials are discussing building a military base on Baeknyeong that will contain the South Korean-made Hyunmu-3 cruise missiles with a range of 500 km and Hyunmu-2 and Army Tactical Missile Systems ballistic missiles with a range of 300 km. Also, amphibious landing vehicles will be stationed on Baeknyeong and other West Sea islands for use in times of war, and helicopter landing pads will be built as well.
However, some military officials warn that such facilities and weapons could easily fall into North Korean hands due to the island's proximity to North Korea. The islands are just 10-20 km from North Korea.
Lawmakers are also calling for the construction of military bases there. Grand National Party lawmaker Won Yoo-chul, who heads the National Assembly's Defense Committee, told the Chosun Ilbo, "We need to reorganize our troops and weapons so that the five West Sea islands can be turned into forward deployment bases in times of conflict by turning them into impenetrable fortresses."
Former defense minister Kim Jang-soo, who is now a GNP lawmaker, said, "From a military perspective, the five West Sea islands are threats to North Korea, and we must look into turning them into forward launch bases by equipping them with precision-guided weapons and artillery that can immobilize North Korean coastal artillery or multiple launch rocket systems."
Yoo Seung-min, also a GNP lawmaker, said South Korea's Air Force needs to be radically upgraded to defend the five West Sea islands and Seoul. "If North Korea showers Seoul with artillery rounds and rockets, there are predictions that half of the capital will be destroyed in just a day," Yoo said. "The only solution is to deliver precise strikes on North Korean positions first through a massive air attack in the early stages of a war."
P!
What in hell is their thinking? An amphibious landing! Bomb the basturds into submission. Take out their infrastructure, as retarded as it is. They are already without food and have little fuel. Launching an Inchon like invasion is the essence of ‘fight the last war over’ stupidity. But, generals and ‘statesmen’ are really adept at that.
What I see is something new. Conventional wisdom suggested a rush to repeat processes that have failed in the past like 6 party talks. North Korea likely calculated as much.
Instead we are trying something new. It doesn’t look like there is going to be any talks. We are seeing an unpredicted response of action and not words. I would not observe these events and assume a predictable outcome.
We are now in a long overdue end game, in which even N. Koreans, be they ordinary people or those in the inner circle of power, do not foresee how things will unravel. The place which have been tightly sealed for 60 years is finally cracking open.
It’s going to be a nail-biter all the way through Dec. 12 at least. I suspect this will be the witching hour. Both sides have not only talked a tough game since last weeks attack, but both have backed it up with a deployment of additional forces in and around these border islands. The South intends to conduct the VERY SAME live firing artillery drills that allegedly set the North off in the first place. Interesting to note, the Carl Vinison CAG will be getting pretty close to the region by the time these drills start.
From: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news...009500315.HTML
“2010/11/30 22:28 KST
(LEAD) Military to hold firing drills near border island next week
(ATTN: UPDATES with firing drill planned near border island in paras 5-8; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s military plans to conduct large-scale artillery firing drills in seas around the Korean Peninsula, including waters close to the Yellow Sea border, starting Dec. 6, seeking to beef up its defense readiness posture against any possible additional provocations by North Korea, officials said Tuesday.
According to officials at the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has issued an advisory to local vessels planning to navigate 29 locations in waters around the peninsula from Dec. 6-12.”
The 29 locations include 16 in the Yellow Sea, seven in the East Sea and six in the South Sea, the officials said.
Lee's attempt to politically stay alive. The guy should have had SK air force destroy NK's shore artillery when attacked. This kind of response could have worked in the past, but no more.
Yea, but what if the DPRK obliges Lee with another provacation in response to these live fire artillery drills and then Lee lets loose the chain on his military
Sounds good from a computer keyboard prospective.
Lee destabilize the situation by not doing anything. Realization at the right time on proper scale will do more to stabilize the situation than do nothing and then shoot off shells after the deed is done. They will just watch with smile and come back with a new provocation.
No amount of military hardware and trained troops would deter anything if the enemy knows you won't use them out of fear of escalation.
NK should be put back on State Sponsors of Terrorism list by USA and other sanctions put immediately in place.
RED ALERT.
The Norkies know that if they push just about now (wait till USS George Washington is back in port at Yokosuka and Korean destroyers back home), by launching a Scud/Nodong test barrage on the Sea of Japan or maybe a Taepodong over Northern Japan, they will have Jimmy Carter on their doorstep in Pyongyang within 48 hours with a deal. You can almost predict this stuff down to the hour.
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