Korea Defense Blog
@Korea_Defense
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ROK defense policy, military doctrine, combat equipment and everything in between.
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ROK Air Force carried out a farewell flight for its F-4E Phantom aircraft.
The venerable F-4E was in service between 1969 and 2024. The formation was escorted by KF-21 Boramae, South Korea’s indigenous fighter aircraft.
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The Republic of Korea Air Force paid tribute to its remaining F-4E Phantoms at Suwon Air Base on 08 March 2024.
As of March 2024, only 10 F-4E Phantoms remain, having been mostly replaced by F-35A. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to be fully retired in June 2024.
#rokaf
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A🧵on ROKA&ROKMC infantry anti-tank capabilities. We'll go through the various AT weapons and their employment. This is not an analysis of specs and capabilties.
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🧵In 2023, 500k 155mm shells in 🇰🇷 stocks were sent to the 🇺🇸 to replace stocks sent to 🇺🇦. These were explicitly forbidden from going to 🇺🇦, as 🇰🇷 policy forbids this (much like 🇩🇪 pre-Zeitenwende).
But according to
@AP
, 🇰🇷 shells are being sent indirectly:
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@mason_8718
Unfortunately this isn't ROK directly supporting Ukraine. That's limited to the non-lethal aid and two K600s mentioned above. It's the US buying our shells and we all know how US aid for Ukraine is doing rn.
Maybe the EU will at least start buying shells from us soon.
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Marines and soldiers assigned to the ROK Northwest Island Defense Command (NWIDC) carried out a rapid reinforcement exercise on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands on 15MAR24.
Located along the western Northern Limit Line (NLL), the NW Islands are vulnerable to DPRK attacks.
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1) Originally from the WaPo: more 155mm sent to Ukraine by the US from ROK stocks than Europe has sent in total.
Also, Hanwha recently started exporting charges for UK BAE 155mm production, a major source of ammo for Ukraine.
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Three short-range air defense systems that participated in recent US-ROK exercise:
1) K30 Biho
2) K30W Chunho
3) K31 Chunma
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Combined stealth power.
US Air Force F-22A Raptors and ROK Air Force F-35A Freedom Knights trained together for the first time on 16 May 2024.
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The ceremony was joined by 25 aircraft consisting of F-15K, KF-16, F-16, FA-50, F-5, and F-35A.
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Recent photos of South Korea's new K13 carbines in use by Navy and Air Force Special Warfare operators.
K13 (also known as STC-16) was developed by SNT Motiv as a replacement for aging Daewoo K1A carbines in ROK SOF service. 1,700 carbines have been ordered so far.
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At one point, ROKAF operated up to around 220 F-4 Phantom variants. Phantoms have guarded the sky above South Korea for 55 years.
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Peru has selected the South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries as primary shipbuilding partner to boost local industry on 28MAR24.
Part of a greater modernization program, the $460 million contract will oversee local construction of 1x FFG, 1x OPV, and 2x amphibs.
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🧵 Our gov still hasn't decided to send weapons to Ukraine.
Let's take a step back and look at these ideas:
🧵What could South Korea send Ukraine?
Republic of Korea Army units (ROK)
are currently going through a vast modernization program. Let’s start with small arms:
ROK units are replacing thousands of K3 5.56mm light machine guns with the new K15 squad automatic weapon. Pic..1/n
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The ROK Army actually has a 501st, it's the 501st Infantry Brigade (formerly regiment) of the 50th Territorial Defense Infantry Division. It protects the city of Daegu and trains local reservists.
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South Korea and Poland signed a $1.6 billion contract for 72 additional K239 Chunmoo (Homar-K) MLRS and associated missiles on 25 April 2024.
This follow-on contract includes 72 Chunmoo launchers, CGR-80 guided rockets (80km range), and CTM-290 missiles (290km range).
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1) The K877 command vehicle is entering service with ROKA (+ROKMC). It was trialled by the Army Tiger testing bdes of 17th inf div, now entering service in the 25th.
It will be replacing time-&labor-intensive (&vulnerable) command post tents which hid in far rear areas.
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ROK Army reservist sniper mobilized with the 50th Infantry Division conducting marksmanship training with a scoped M16A1 rifle on 18 April 2024.
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Romania and South Korea signed a $920 million contract for 54x K9 Thunder SPH and 10x K10 ARV.
Hanwha Aerospace will provide training and logistics support as part of the deal.
Romania will become the 6th NATO member to operate the K9, and the 8th international operator.
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@zhao_dashuai
This is the *Combined* Forces Cmmd. The commanders still answer to their respective national CICs. It's how allied cooperation works.
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ROK Navy 1st Fleet Command troops hunting drones during a port protection exercise on the east coast last August.
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K9 and K55A1 155mm self-propelled howitzers of the ROK Army 17th Infantry Division, Capital Corps' Artillery Brigade and ROKMC 2nd Marine Division conducting joint live fire.
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A ROK Army K1E1 tank deploys smoke grenades during a US-ROK combined exercise in Paju, South Korea on 20 March 2024.
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News on K2PL MBT:
-🇰🇷 MND says 2022 contract still "fully valid"
-🇵🇱 MOD says joint efforts underway to get K2PL local production plans back on track
-K2PL progress & further contracts for other systems expected in September
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It's been a while, here's 1MARDIV ROKMC down to coy-level with all its intriguing names.
Note that I was unable to ascertain the SP/towed nature of the individual arty units, as towed KH-179 howitzers for reservists are contained within these units afaik.
#ORBATBOys
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🧵Some quick thoughts I had about the ROK military's issues with demographic decline and professional recruitment&retention while listening to Perun's newest video.
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K806 APCs of the 125th Infantry Brigade's mobile company, 53rd Territorial Defense Infantry Division, cruising through Busan.
Their mission is to swiftly transport and support specially trained mobile infantry to combat KPA SOF infiltrators and terrorists.
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ROKA 2nd Quick Reaction Division and USFK Army Aviation conducted a combined air assault as part of Exercise Freedom Shield. Over 1,400 soldiers and 40 aircraft were involved in the 4-day-long exercise.
2QRD is ROKA's only air assault/airborne div & part of VII Maneuver Corps.
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We engage in all sorts of tomfoolery.
(This counts as an M113).
You're not really a Pacific nation if you haven't done unspeakable things to the M113
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1) MND wants to replace all towed 155mm howitzers in the reserves with K55A1 SPHs until 2035.
Affected:
-reserve battalion(s) in arty brigades of active frontline infantry divs
-arty bdes of the 5 mobilization infantry divs
Unaffected:
-arty bns of territorial defense inf divs
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ROK Army 17th Infantry Division Military Police battalion on K151 Raycolt KLTVs & BMW F750 bikes, along with civilian National Police at Incheon International Airport earlier this year.
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US and ROK Marines execute MOUT training as part of Exercise Warrior Shield 24 in March 2024.
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ROK Navy took delivery of its first 3x P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on 19JUN24.
3x additional aircraft will be delivered on the 30th to complete the order of six aircraft. ROKN currently operates 16x P-3C/K Orion MPAs.
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ROK Army cope cages?
Nope, just sunshades used during training at ROKA Armor School.
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All ROKA frontline infantry battalions' sniper teams now have 12.7mm Barrett M107A1 anti-material rifles with Leupold MK5HD. Until now, they only had access to 7.62mm NATO SNT Motiv K14s. This allows for greater lethality at longer ranges.
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An unknown number of M16A1 rifles in active and reserve service with ROKA are being upgraded with RIS, optics and other accessories for use in Mobilization Infantry and Territorial Defense Infantry Divisions.
High-mounted optic on a rail is stupid, but upgrades are welcome.
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ROK CCT members training with their USAF counterparts during exercise Freedom Shield 24 on 07 March 2024.
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To ppl saying "He can't do shit":
He actually can. 🇷🇺 can transfer critical tech to NK + help circumvent sanctions. This is a major threat to us, which is why we hesitated for so long with arming 🇺🇦.
Now that 🇷🇺 is openly talking about doing it, we're responding in kind.
Putin threatens South Korea
"If South Korea supplies weapons to Ukraine, they won't like the answer, I hope they won't do it."
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ROK Navy took delivery of its 3rd and final Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine ROKS Shin Chaeho (SS-086) on 04APR24.
ROKS Shin Chae-ho, built by HD HHI, began cosntruction on 11APR19 and was launched on 28SEP21. This delivery marks the conclusion of KSS-III Batch-I program.
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Indonesian chaos has been unleashed (check likes-to-comment ratio).
It's mainly "fake!!1" comments and sudden praise for the Rafale lol
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1) A mech-inf company task force of 131 all-professional cadre (SSgt upwards) of ROKA 8th Maneuver Division completed their month-long program of training exercises at US Army National Training Center (NTC) in California in the Mojave Desert on May 15.
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Behold, our very own short-stroke piston AR carbine!
(Unfortunately we didn't adopt the brown version)
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>spend another week complaining that President Yoon will never get serious about aiding (arming) Ukraine
>"ROK Presidential office to reconsider arms to Ukraine"
Please, I've never wanted to be proven wrong this badly.
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"We will continue the support and cooperation that are needed by the Ukrainian people (...)"
-vague generic promise
-no progress on 2 pledged K600 demining tanks?
-no intention to change self-imposed arms embargo
-Zelensky requested the call, Ukraine is low on Yoon's priorities
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🧵ROKA 12th Inf Div's 17th Bde has issued LPVOs (Low Power Variable Optic) to one rifleman per rifle sqd in what can best be described as a crude designated marksman (DM). ROKA & MND News incorrectly call this new specialized rifleman a "sniper".
Wrong.
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Short🧵on ROK Armed Forces Transportation Command, most of the info is on the ORBAT.
#ORBATBoys
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Two different helmets and a new mystery plate carrier (worn too low as always by ignorant officers) seen at the inauguration of the K877/K870 command vehicles of ROKA 25th Inf Div.
The individual eqpt upgrade initiative "Warrior Platform" continues under Army Tiger 4.0.
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"why the U.S. refuses to take accountability for the war crimes it committed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki"
Cry about it.
Oppenheimer has been released in Japan, eight months after its global release.
We spoke to historian Naoko Wake to learn why the U.S. refuses to take accountability for the war crimes it committed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and why all of this is relevant to us today.
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KF-21 Boramae reached yet another developmental milestone when it successfully completed its first aerial refueling test on 19 March 2024.
It refueld from a ROKAF KC-330 Cygnus off the southern coast. Development seems to be going smoothly, in line with targeted goal of 2026.
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A mech-inf company task force made up of 101 professional NCOs and officers of the ROKA 8th Maneuver Division is preparing for a month-long exercise starting April 17th at the US National Training Center.
This will be the eighth ROK participation at NTC.
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ROK Air Force 19th Fighter Wing MPs having fun catching OPFOR infiltrators during a base defense drill in 2021.
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2) The EU may begin buying 155mm and production components overseas (incl ROK).
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ROK Army Capital Defense Command Military Police Dan (regiment/brigade) and Seoul Metropolitan Police blocking the Seogang bridge over the Han river in Seoul during a nationwide civil defense drill last August.
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ROK Army soldiers assigned to the 23rd Infantry Division watch as illumination rounds light up the coastline on 20 March 2024.
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5) All of them are being replaced by the new ROK-made AT-1K Raybolt ATGM. It can top-attack, has a tandem warhead, fire&forget and many other improvements. It is essentially a newer (and more affordable) K-Javelin and will finally give all ROK inf the ability to kill KPA MBTs.
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1) Worth reading, some notes:
Territorial Defense Infantry Divs (in article called by their old name Homeland Reserves) have fully-staffed active "Mobile" bns and coys which can immediately respond to KPA infiltrators. Training&eqpt is above ROKA average.
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1) ROK sqd has no AT, KPA has an RPG-7 in every sqd. The RPG-7 can still harm modern AFVs (even w/ APS) and kill light AFVs. A launcher+several grenades per sqd allow for saturation fire&more liberal use against defenses&enemies in general.
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Members of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command's 7th Special Forces Brigade clear a mock underground facility (UGF) near Yongin during Exercise Freedom Shield 2024 on 07 March 2024
#rokarmy
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No, I’m not shitting you.
North Korea sent bunch of balloons filled with “feces and other waste materials” to the South.
Over 200 such balloons were discovered across South Korea as of 1300 local time, 29 May 2024 💩
#psyop
#korea
#southkorea
#northkorea
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ROKAF 1st Fighter Wing Military Police SDT (Special Duties Team) in MOPP CBRN suits.
Combo of black gear + woodland gives off Southeast Asian military vibes.
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Before South Korea's 707th Special Mission Group accepted female members into its ranks, they selected certain male members based on their physical traits to disguise as females. They were likely employed in covert / surveillance ops.
A literal femboy army
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The K808 APC brings strategic mobility over wide distances thanks to its wheels, but can also keep up with the tactical mobility of other tracked vehicles when it comes to river crossings.
The K808, KLTV ("Humvee") & K105A1 SPH are motorizing ROKA's leg infantry brigades.
Korea' K808 armored personnel carrier crosses the Imjin River for the first time
@RyszardJonski
@Korea_Defense
@SA_Defensa
@CallSigMaverick
@thinkdefence
@RobWright
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ROKA 53rd Territorial Defense Infantry Division, 126th Infantry "Elephant" Brigade doing counter-terror training.
They're responsible for the protection of Busan and Ulsan.
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K30W Sky Tiger SPAAGs assigned to the ROK Army's Capital Corps conduct live fire exercise against a target drone on 03 May 2024.
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1) Hyundai WIA is developing self-propelled 81mm mortar, 105mm howitzer, ammo supply & command versions of the K351 KLTV (Korea Light Tactical Vehicle).
They join S&T's 120mm mortar version in being likely options for the 2nd Quick Reaction Division's bde arty bns (air assault).
At
#ADEX2023
Hyundai WIA, the armament branch of the holding, unveiled its indirect fire applications for airmobile troops, consisting of an 81 mm mortar and a 105 mm howitzer, both mounted on a light armoured 4×4 vehicle
By
@paolovalpolini
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🇰🇷🇬🇧 COMBINED TRAINING TO BECOME REGULAR:
1) Following the 9th annual ROK-UK Army Conference in London in February, according to ROK officials, the British Army intends to regularly use the Korea Combat Training Center in Gangwon province for mountain warfare training.
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Kia's light tactical vehicle (ROK military name "Raycolt") continues to be adapted for civilian use.
This wildland firefighting brush truck based on the K351C has a 2000l tank, pump, firefighting&medical eqpt. The Korea Forest Service plans on introducing them into their fleet.
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Mobile infantry of 37th Territorial Defense Infantry Division training live fire contact drills.
Mobile infantry are specialized active-duty infantry in Territorial Defense, kept at division-level in battalions & at brigade-level in companies. Their mission is to hunt KPA SOF.
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2) ROK rifle plts usually don't have their own AT (see fig 1 of rifle plt weapons sqd). However, the plts of the mech inf divs (8th, 11th, Capital) have Pzf-3s in their weapons sqd, license-produced by Poongsan. Note fig 2 shows M72 LAWs instead of Pzf-3s.
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Reservists and active duty soldiers of ROKA 55th Territorial Defense Infantry Division training CQB and contact drills with proper rifle use.
This is a quantum leap compared to the outdated & often incorrect drills taught (or not taught at all) during active & reserve service.
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3) A rifle coy usually has M72 LAWs &/or even older 90mm KM67 recoilless rifles. In the case of some inf+all mech inf divs, Pzf-3s. I have no fixed TOE or OOB on this, but they are supposedly distributed to be used in two-man AT teams under the plt leader.
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ROK Army soldiers assigned to the 17th Infantry Division's Military Police Battalion conduct security patrol around the Incheon International Airport on 16 April 2024.
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The ROK Army will stop its longstanding use of bright green epaulets for unit leaders next month. ROKA unit leaders can be easily singled out by enemy marksmen/snipers, present in every KPA rifle sqd.
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@Pion_2S7
Nah, it was getting too expensive and maintaining a token fleet was inefficient.
The real tragedy is that our dumbass gov chose to retire them and turn them into static displays instead of selling them to the US or EU for delivery to Ukraine.
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4) Here we get to the big stuff. ROKA divs used to have a directly subordinated motorized TOW coy, ROKMC had one under its divisional tank bn. Old 106mm M40 recoilless rifles&newer Metis-M ATGMs are still used on jeeps&APCs in AT secs on the bn-&bde levels.
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ROK Army 36th Territorial Defense Infantry Division counter infiltration exercise in Gangwon State.
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6) AT-1Ks can be carried on foot, but are usually double-mounted on K153C1 Raycolt armored jeeps+4 rockets in the trunk. 2 jeeps form a sqd, 2-4 sqds form an AT plt (called direct-fire plt). Said AT plt is part of the weapons coy of an inf bn.
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ROKA soldiers in SECBATT have received the new belmets with ARC rails and NVG shroud. Note their Trilobite IFF (ID Friend/Foe) IR strobe, Type-3 v2023 plate carrier and their K2C1 rifles with the new brass catcher.
The United Nations Command SECBATT guards the JSA inside the DMZ.
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This may still be a hybrid of older T-series at its heart, but it seems to be getting farther than the Armata.
For ROKA, this means we have to keep our advantage by continuing to push the K2>K1A2>K1E2>M48A5K replacement sequence & prioritize upgrading infantry AT capabilities.
The DPRK is making great progress in the development of the military-industrial complex. The reason, first of all, is that they adopt the world's best concepts without dwelling on their "design school of century-long range", the authorities of the last century and, as is not
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ROKA 37th Territorial Defense Infantry Division training subterranean warfare under gov buildings.
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Quite excited for the movie "Seoul Spring" about the 1979 coup d'etat that followed the assassination of long-time dictator Park Chung-hee and subsequently led to Chun Doo-hwan's rise to power.
Love the old MBC drama "5th Republic" already. Nov 22nd!
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Two separate chamber explosions at a ROKA SWC brigade's live fire exercises have led to a halt in K13 live firing for investigations into both the used ammo & the new carbine.
I wonder if, out of habit with the K1A, they used old .223 rem inst of 5.56.
Recent photos of South Korea's new K13 carbines in use by Navy and Air Force Special Warfare operators.
K13 (also known as STC-16) was developed by SNT Motiv as a replacement for aging Daewoo K1A carbines in ROK SOF service. 1,700 carbines have been ordered so far.
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While it's sad that the K9 lost to the RCH155 in the UK (not a bad choice to accompany their existing Boxer fleet), good signs are coming from Romania and Vietnam.
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Alright, here's my first proper ORBAT, I already posted it a few weeks ago on my FB page.
ROKA 2nd Quick Response Div made with
@spatialillusion
and inspired by
@battle_order
.
*Dae (대) is a ROK unit size between coy and bn, often commanded by a Maj.
#ORBATboys
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10) In conclusion, most of what has been suggested here isn't impossible to send, but there is missing context that makes some of these ideas less feasible than they may initially appear.
As we wait for President Yoon to make a decision on 🇺🇦, let us be hopeful, but not hyped.
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53rd Territorial Defense Infantry Division training port security and defense in Busan.
It is the largest port in the country and of vital strategic importance.
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1) ROK Army 37th Territorial Defense Infantry Division continues to lead the way in innovating combat training for its infantrymen.
Live fire maneuver & drills involving proper small unit tactics (SUT) are taught to conscripts & professional cadre alike.
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"Poland to buy a second tranche of 180 K2 Black Panthers from South Korea, contract signing expected in September." from
@AntoniWalkowski
Uwaga, ważne ogłoszenie na
@Defence24pl
‼️ 📢🚨
Minister
@KosiniakKamysz
przekazał mediom, że we wrześniu może zostać podpisana umowa wykonawcza na zakup 180 kolejnych czołgów K2, o czym informuje
@MGorski1991
.
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ROK Navy amphibious assault ship ROKS Marado (LPH-6112) provides DLQ (Deck Landing Qualification) training support to ROK Army Aviation Command on 20 March 2024.
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ROK Navy officially commissioned the ROKS Shin Chaeho (SS-086) at Jinhae Naval Base on 05APR24.
ROKS Shin Chaeho is the 3rd and final Dosan Ahn Changho-class (KSS-III Batch-I) submarine. It underwent 3 years of sea trials before it was formerly delivered to the ROKN on 04APR24.
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@bayraktar_1love
Looks like a M74 submunition from MGM-140 ATACMS. Though there are other similar ones.
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Overheard some Americans call this old ROKAF Huey a Pepsi chopper.
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1) Yesterday, 163 ROK, 51 Japanese and six Singaporean nationals were evacuated from Israel onboard a KC-330 of the ROKAF 5th Air Mobility Wing.
A joint ROKAF&Ministry of Foreign Affairs quick response team received and processed the evacuees at Tel-Aviv airport earlier.
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Chinese cinema making the Incheon landings look epic
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