"Italy and South Korea to work together for CVX future" Topic

…aircraft carrier for South Korean Navy

"…during MADEX International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition 2021 that takes place in Busan, South Korea, Italian company Fincantieri has signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) to support the Conceptual Design of the new class of aircraft carriers "CVX" for the Navy of the Republic of Korea (South Korea)…"

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Armand

The Italians and the South Koreans are working together to build an aircraft carrier…

Oh this should be entertaining to watch….

And… why does South Korea need an aircraft carrier?

China…? …. North Korea?….

Armand

I find this to be very interesting, in the watching a car or train wreck sort of way.

I have no doubt they can design and build them, given their successful ship and warship construction in the past.

As noted above though, the "real" question is why?

They won't be able to afford more than 1 – 3, and they are really most useful for offensive ops, as opposed to defensive ones, so I really can't see how they will help, other than to provide jobs for welders and ship builders in their respective nations.

They'll just be large, valuable targets for the enemy to take out with submarines, aircraft, and missiles.

Maybe in the near future… Military alliance work … and South Korea is a good partner for USA in that zone… so… they can afford the protection that Carrier needed…

The birth of a mix of a Task Force?…

Armand

Italians are actually quite good at shipbuilding nowadays. South Korea, quite correctly, understands in order to deter encroachment of the PRC Navy in their territorial waters they will need a Navy capable of maintaining superiority within their defensive perimeter. Also, with the current US foreign policy disaster they expect to have to cooperate more closely with Japan and Taiwan to contain the PRC. Plus, South Korea is quite wealthy and they can afford it.

I have no doubt they can design and build them, given their successful ship and warship construction in the past.

It's not 1941 anymore! (And in any case the biggest issues plaguing Italian ships in 1941 was lack of modern radar and reliability of powerplants neither of which is an issue in 2021).

You realise the latest US frigate design (Constellation class) is based on FREMM which is a joint French-Italian ship.

Italian warships (and helicopters) are pretty good if not excellent. And their navy packs a fair bit of punch.

And unlike US or UK, Italy has maintained production of civilian ships and its ships are built to high standards (though as proven, deliberately driving them onto rocks to show off your captaining skills will still sink them).

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As for South Korean carrier, South Korea announced intentions to become a blue water navy as early as late 1990s though plans were already started to be formed in 1989 ( "Strategic Task Fleet" mentioned in the 1989 Joint Strategic Objectives Plan).

To help do this, South Korea has already:

1. Commenced exercises that saw longer deployment for its ships (started in 1990).

2. Purchased long range P-3C patrol/ASW planes starting in 1995.

3. Rapidly expanded submarine fleet since 1990s (Type 209 in 1993 followed by ultra modern Type 214 in early 2000s and new Dosan Ahn Changho class (3,750 ton) in 2022.

4. Commissioning of large air warfare destroyers (11,000 ton) and LHDs (19,000 tons) from mid 2000s.

5. Commissioning of large LST (2014)

6. Acquisition of longer range and increasingly larger logistics ships.

Current major fleet units are:

18 attack submarines (+9 additional on order)
12 destroyers (+3 additional on order)
15 frigates
11 corvettes
2 LHDs (helicopter carriers) –
4 large LSTs

16 x P-3C maritime patrol aircraft

Thanks!

Armand