[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Momentum Builds for Light Aircraft Carrier... Expected Blueprint Revealed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Navy's long-cherished project of a 30,000-ton class light aircraft carrier (light carrier) will proceed as scheduled next year. The light carrier project, which involves designing and constructing a 30,000-ton class light carrier using domestic technology, is a project that the Korean Navy authorities have been committed to since the Kim Young-sam administration, dreaming of a leap "from a coastal navy to an ocean-going navy."

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 4th, the light carrier budget was confirmed at 7.2 billion KRW in the 2022 defense budget approved by the National Assembly plenary session the day before. The government's original plan was fully reflected. Previously, the government's proposed defense budget for next year included △ an initial payment of 6.241 billion KRW for basic design, △ 848 million KRW for aircraft data and technical support costs, and △ 99 million KRW for indirect costs related to the light carrier project.

The 30,000-ton class light carrier was officially formalized when the Ministry of National Defense reflected the concept design plan for the "Multipurpose Large Transport Ship-II" in the '2020-2024 Defense Mid-term Plan' in August 2019, and the concept design and basic design plans were included in the '2021-2025 Defense Mid-term Plan' in August last year.

With the budget confirmed, the military plans to proceed with the project starting with the basic design as scheduled next year. The goal is to operationalize it by 2033. Considering domestic shipbuilding technology, it is judged that the schedule could be advanced by about 3 to 4 years. The total construction cost of the light carrier is estimated at around 5 to 6 trillion KRW, including 20 F-35B aircraft (3 to 4 trillion KRW) and ship construction (2 trillion KRW). Since it can dock at the Jeju Naval Base, the total construction cost may increase further when including related facility costs.

The Navy intends to build the light carrier to respond to the strengthening of military power by neighboring countries. China is pushing to secure four carrier strike groups, and Japan is considering converting its helicopter-carrying destroyers Izumo and Kaga into aircraft carriers equipped with F-35B, so preemptive preparation is necessary as maritime security threats from neighboring countries are expected to materialize.

In particular, with China and Japan around the Korean Peninsula introducing aircraft carriers and light carriers, there is an argument that Korea should at least have one platform (light carrier) capable of launching vertical takeoff and landing fighters in distant waters.

Some argue that regarding carrier-based aircraft, it is necessary to adopt the 'British version of the F-35B,' where weapon systems are integrated and produced, to reduce the cost of importing American weapon systems mounted on the fighters. Additionally, there is a position that some F-35Bs could be assigned surveillance and reconnaissance missions like on American amphibious assault ships, and early warning helicopter deployment, as on the British Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, could be considered as an alternative.

The light carrier is known to be constructed with a 'flat deck' rather than a 'ski-jump ramp' deck shape necessary for the takeoff and landing of the carrier-based F-35B. While installing a ski-jump ramp can shorten the takeoff distance and increase the maximum takeoff weight of the F-35B, the inclined runway reduces the space for carrying structural helicopters. China's Liaoning (full load displacement 59,439 tons) and Shandong (70,000 tons) use the ski-jump method. Japan's Izumo (24,000 tons), which is being converted into a light carrier capable of carrying about 12 F-35Bs, uses a flat deck.

A military official explained, "When the light carrier operates near the Korean Peninsula, support from airborne early warning aircraft (Peace Eye) is possible, and if necessary, onboard unmanned aerial vehicles or helicopters can also be utilized. Although there is no plan yet to secure early warning helicopters, we will continue to develop operational concepts through case studies of countries operating light carriers."

Generally, aircraft carriers are classified by size (tonnage) and aircraft operation capacity into light carriers (10,000?30,000 tons, 10?20 aircraft), medium carriers (40,000?60,000 tons, 30?40 aircraft), and large carriers (90,000?100,000 tons, 50?80 aircraft).

Worldwide, nine countries operate aircraft carriers (a total of 23 ships): the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, India, Thailand, and Brazil. Among them, Brazil, Italy, and Thailand operate light carriers, and Japan, Australia, Spain, and Italy plan to operate 20,000-ton class (light carrier class) ships.