[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Sudan Korean Evacuation Operation... Background of Full Deployment of Army, Navy, and Air Force

Local Koreans Arrive at Korean Embassy
1200 km Distance from Korean Air Force Transport Plane
Possible Helicopter Transfer After Docking at Port Near Cheonghae Unit

The evacuation operation of Korean nationals in Sudan, North Africa, where armed conflicts between warlords continue, is expected to extend through this week. The Korean military has dispatched the C-130J transport aircraft, the KC-330 Cygnus aerial refueling tanker, as well as the Cheonghae Unit stationed in the Somali Aden Bay region to the area, but difficulties in evacuating the expatriates are anticipated.

According to multiple government officials on the 24th, 28 Korean nationals have gathered at the Korean Embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Earlier, the Air Force transport aircraft C-130J, dispatched for the evacuation of overseas nationals, arrived at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, a neighboring country of Sudan, at around 5:20 p.m. on the 22nd. On board the transport aircraft were about 50 personnel, including the Army Special Warfare Command (Special Forces) 707 Counterterrorism Special Mission Unit, Air Force Combat Control Team (CCT), security personnel, and medical staff. The 707 Special Mission Unit is an elite counterterrorism response unit that carries out missions of national strategic importance, and this is its first overseas operation to evacuate nationals. The CCT successfully carried out the 'Miracle Operation' in 2021, evacuating Afghan collaborators.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The problem is that the U.S. base where the C-130J transport aircraft and KC-330 Cygnus aerial refueling tanker assigned to evacuate the Korean nationals are stationed is located about 1,200 km in a straight line from Khartoum. Currently, the airport in Khartoum is closed due to clashes between the two major warlords, making it difficult to send transport aircraft immediately. Overland travel is also not feasible. As violent clashes continue between government forces and paramilitary groups in Sudan, North Africa, there are concerns that deploying the 707 Counterterrorism Special Mission Unit of the Army Special Warfare Command could inadvertently involve them in a civil war.

Therefore, the Cheonghae Unit escort fleet, which departed from Salalah, Oman, is considered the only option. The 39th Cheonghae Unit currently on operation includes the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer (DDH-II, 4,400 tons). The military has not disclosed the specific destination of the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin due to operational security, but it is expected that the Cheonghae Unit will move to Port Sudan, located 300 km from Khartoum. The Cheonghae Unit can anchor offshore and transport Korean nationals to the port by helicopter, then bring them by sea. Port Sudan is a port city on the Red Sea coast, and Saudi Arabia also evacuated 157 of its nationals and foreigners from Port Sudan to Jeddah Port by ship. A government official said, “The units dispatched locally are exploring various routes,” adding, “It may take time to transport them by the safest method.”

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