Vice Chief of Naval Operations: "Light Aircraft Carrier Is Not an Astronomical Project Expense"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Admiral Bu Seok-jong, Chief of Naval Operations, refuted the claim that the introduction of a light aircraft carrier (light carrier) would require astronomical project costs and stated that the project will definitely be pursued.

Admiral Bu stated through the Navy's Facebook on the same day, "Securing a light carrier will cost about 2.6 trillion won, not 6 trillion won," and added, "Since destroyers are being secured as individual projects, it is inappropriate to include destroyer construction costs in the aircraft carrier construction costs." He emphasized that the astronomical project costs do not stem from the need to additionally build Aegis destroyers and others that make up the light carrier task force.

He also mentioned the F-35B from the U.S. Lockheed Martin, which is expected to be deployed with about 20 units on the light carrier.

Admiral Bu said, "The F-35B, which is mentioned as the carrier-based aircraft, has already been operated by the U.S., the U.K., and others, proving its performance, and countries such as Japan, Spain, Italy, and Singapore are also pursuing its introduction."

He added, "Military power must be built not only for deterrence against North Korea but also to prepare for all-around threats," emphasizing, "Considering the geopolitical location, the maritime dependence of the national economy, and the responsible role in the international community, a broad security perspective is necessary."

Concerns have been raised that the light carrier could be at high risk of being destroyed if sufficient power is not secured, and there are counterarguments that its effectiveness may not be significant compared to the huge budget expenditure. On the other hand, opinions are divided, with some arguing that it is necessary due to rising maritime threats from neighboring countries in the Indo-Pacific region and for enhancing deterrence against North Korea.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's National Defense Committee drastically cut the budget related to the light carrier from about 7.2 billion won to 500 million won at the plenary session on the 16th.

According to the National Defense Committee, the government initially requested a total budget of 7.188 billion won, including 6.241 billion won for the basic design initiation fee, 848 million won for carrier-based aircraft data and technical support (FMS), and 99 million won for indirect costs. However, the budget subcommittee of the National Defense Committee withheld this budget the day before, stating, "It is necessary to re-examine the appropriateness of the project content," and at the meeting on the same day, only 500 million won was approved. The 500 million won is also under the name of indirect costs such as domestic and overseas travel expenses for data collection and investigation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.