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Thu, August 11, 2022 | 04:54
Defense
[Exclusive] Lee directs W3 tril. rise in arms buying
Posted : 2010-05-16 17:20
Updated : 2010-05-16 17:20
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Seoul seeking to counter NK’s asymmetrical warfare

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter

President Lee Myung-bak has directed an increase in expenditure for weapons systems to cope with North Korea's asymmetrical and irregular warfare, a government source said Sunday.

Lee called for spending 3 trillion won ($2.6 billion) on arms improvement programs, the source said. The President made the decision during the first meeting of a newly established presidential task force for revamping national security and defense plans last Thursday, he said.

"There is a certain need for changes in defense equipment and weapons systems as well as military operations," Lee told the 15-member panel led by Lee Sang-woo, a former professor who now chairs the Defense Reform Committee.

Lee urged the panel to revise the Defense Reform 2020 initiative after reassessing the existing security situation, including increasing threats posed by North Korea's asymmetrical and guerilla tactics.

"Upon the President's direction, defense authorities are expected to review current arms acquisition plans and readjust their priorities," the source told The Korea Times. "The focus will be on how to thwart the North's asymmetrical and irregular operations."

Irregular and asymmetric warfare uses more special forces to conduct operations than regular forces, as well as the unconventional use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons systems.

A Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said President Lee hadn't directed detailed plans on the arms programs, adding the military will decide upon these.

"For example, buying helicopters for maritime and air-to-ground operations will gain speed in order to help prevent the infiltration of North Korean special forces into the South, or to drop our commandos into enemy areas," the source noted.

Other weapons to be affected by a potential increase in defense expenditure would include upgrades of warships' sonar, deployment of a sound surveillance systems (SOSUS) for islands near the sea border, development of three-dimensional anti-air radar and an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bomb, and the acquisition of bunker-busting bombs, he said.

"On the other hand, arms programs aimed at deterring North Korea's conventional threats could be put on the back burner for the time being," he added, apparently referring to the production of the K2 Black Panther main battle tank and K21 infantry fighting vehicle.



李대통령, 무기사업 3조 투입 지시

정성기 기자

북한의 비대칭, 비정규전력 대비 일환

이명박 대통령이 북한의 비정규전에 대비한 무기체계 획득 예산을 증액하라고 지시한 것으로 확인됐다.

정부 소식통에 따르면 이 대통령은 지난주 청와대에서 열린 첫 안보회의점검 회의 때 약 3조원의 예산을 투입 전력증강하라는 지시를 한 것으로 알려진다.

당시 이 대통령은 “군사 작전에도 변화가 있어야 하고, 군 장비와 무기체계에도 분명한 변화가 있어야 한다”라고 말한 바 있다.

이 대통령은 북한의 비대칭 및 게릴라 전술을 비롯환 현재의 안보위협을 재평가하고 국방개혁 2020안을 전면 재검토하라고 지시했다.

소식통은 “이대통령의 지시에 따라서 국방당국이 무기획득 계획과 획득 우선순위에 대해서 검토를 할 것”이라며 “초점은 북한의 비대칭 및 비정규전력에 어떻게 대응할 것인가”라고 말했다.

비정규전이란 일반병력보다 특수부대 전력이 투입되고 핵과 생.화학 무기들을 이용한 작전이 시행되는 전쟁양상을 일컫는다.

청와대 관계자는 “이 대통령이 구체적인 지시를 한 적은 없다”면서도 “군 당국이 그와 같은 계획이 있을 지 모른다”라고 답했다.

소식통은 “예를 들어 적 특수병력의 침투를 막고 혹은 우리 특수병력을 적진에 투입시키기 위해 필요한 해상 및 공격헬기의 획득은 속도를 낼 것이다”라고 설명했다.

그는 무기획득 예산 증액은 소나체계 성능향상, 해상음향감시체계 배치, 3차원 대공레이더 및 EMP(전자기펄스) 폭탄 개발, ‘벙커버스터’ 폭탄등의 획득에 영향을 줄 것이라고 내다봤다.

그는 “반면 K2 흑표전차와 K21 보병장갑차와 같은 북한의 재래식 전력대비한 무기사업들은 당분간 미뤄지거나 재조정 될 수 있을 것”이라고 전망했다.
Emailgallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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