The first picture is test-firing of K-MSAM medium range air-defense missile planned to be deployed into South Korean field army by 2011. With suspected range of over 40km, the missile system will replace Hawk batteries in South Korean service and offer defense against enemy aircrafts, low-flying cruise missiles, UAVs and tacticle ballistic missiles.
The second picture is K-ASROC test-launch. With first planned deployment on KDX-3 ships, the missile will offer long-range attack capability on South Korean KDX-series against submarines. The missile will be carried on domestically developed vertical launch system. The warhead will be the Blue-Shark light-weight torpedo currently under advanced developement stage with ADD defense lab.
If it was up to me, i'd liked to have seen a lot of cooperation from tank till frigates, missiles and radars but likewise I don't hear anything on cooperation areas.
There was something like the Korean multipurpose helicopter in which Sikorsky had proposed a combined utility attack helicopter, what is the status of the KMH?
I don't like the idea of half-hearted light attack helicopter replacing project for heavy attack helicopter like Apache.
KMH will most likely be KAI producing with Bell assistance. That is the reason why people are assuming KMH will be more or less a UH-1Y. We don't need something like that. Producing more UH-60P under license will be a far more effective means of acquiring technology and building up strength.
As far as I know, the schedule is to have prototype out by 2008, and production model by 2011.
Studies have concluded, and operational requirements have been concluded at last. Component developement or contracting is progressing as we speak. The 120mm L55 gun is set to be produced by WIA. I believe it is a licensed production of German gun. I believe the engine will be a license produce of MTU powerpack as well. There will also be a small gas-turbine generator to operate the equipment inside the tank without the engine on. In-arm suspension unit has been developed for NIFV, and more advanced version with computerized control will enter service with the tank. Jammer and automated defense system will be developed or has been developed already. A hard-kill defense system not unlike Russian Arena system will be deployed at a later date as well, though they suspect it will use computer-controlled grenade launcher rather than a fixed 'shell' of Arena so to speak. The FCS would allow the tank limited aerial engagements, and a 'lock-on' mode like those deployed on Type90, Leclerc, and Al-Khalid.
It was killed by an independent government investigations team, but was revived by presidential order I believe. Only utility version is up, and I think Bell will win that.
I preferred KAL/Sikorsky model of KMH.
I knew that Korean government will favored KAI over KAL, despite that KAL has experience in building helicopter in Korea.
Government favoritism will kill competitiveness in Korean aerospace as it did with submarine contract given to Hyundai instead of Daewoo.
Well KAI does have some experience in manufacturing fuselages for Bell 427s, so it's not all that bad, but it also suggests a higher possibility that Bell's glorified Huey will be selected for the bid, which is again bad
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Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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They had better increase heavy helicopter force then because I don't see KMH huling anything more than infantry. At least KAH is dead for now, opening another chance for Apache Longbow.
MND says they'll observe the progress on KMH as it develops and decide whether an attack variant is feasible or not at a later stage, ugh. We're never going to be able to field KAH in time before our antiquated Cobras are way past their expiry date. It's gonna cost problems and it's gonna cost lives. All that trouble for some half-baked, utility off-shoot design? No thanks. There's no way we can make this work, please kill the program and fund AH-X, we don't have the luxury of time to balance things between the two.
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Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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This message has been edited by Mantis214 on Jan 18, 2005 7:22 PM
The warhead will be the Blue-Shark light-weight torpedo currently under advanced developement stage with ADD defense lab.
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I have never heard of the "blue-shark" lightweight torpedo, is this a French-Italian design?(IE BlackShark heavyweight), or indigenous?
This message has been edited by subroc12 on Jan 19, 2005 6:15 PM
It's an indigenous lightweight torp, replacing the MK46s onboard ROKN warships, helos, and P-3s. The White Shark is its heavyweight counterpart designed for our Type 209 SSKs, but it failed twice during testing, the program has been in grave trouble ever since. Fortunately the Blue Shark torpedo was spared from the fallout, and it hit an important milestone last year, passing 8 live firing tests with flying colors.
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Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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This message has been edited by Mantis214 on Jan 19, 2005 7:05 PM
The White Shark wrapped up development in the late 90s and was in the midst of mass-production and distribution to the Navy when the the designers found serious faults in the weapon and it failed twice in tests as part of the investigation. The ROKN's entire inventory of White Sharks were pulled from service and returned to the labs for further analysis. Last I've heard, they're still trying to iron out all the bugs, it's uncertain whether they'll return to service or not, especially when the German SUTs have proved to be very reliable.
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Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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