Destroyer Dispatch to Somalia Delayed
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The dispatch of a destroyer to Somali waters to combat pirates will be delayed for months due to financial constraints brought on by the global financial turmoil, an official of the Ministry of National Defense said Friday.
The Navy had originally planned to send a 4,300-ton KDX-II destroyer to the African region to fight pirates there in January after getting approval from the National Assembly by year's end.
``The government has decided to take some more time to review issues related to the destroyer dispatch, including the budgetary problem, in a careful and measured way,'' a ministry official said, requesting to remain anonymous.
There were no changes, however, in the dispatch plan, though submitting a motion to the Assembly will be delayed, the official said.
Earlier this week, the Navy unveiled details of its plan, which is expected to cost about 45 billion won ($31 million). The proposed budget includes expenditures to purchase high-speed patrol boats and other anti-terrorism military equipment to be carried by the destroyer, Navy officials said.
Once dispatched, the destroyer, carrying 30 to 40 special forces of the Navy and an anti-submarine Lynx helicopter, will conduct joint operations with navies of the United States, Britain, France and other countries under the command of the U.S. 5th Navy Fleet based in Bahrain, they said.
The Navy has six KDX-II destroyers equipped with Harpoon ship-to-surface missiles; RAM MK-31 ship-to-air guided missiles; a 30-mm ``Goalkeeper'' system for engaging incoming sea-skimming anti-ship missiles; and the domestically-built SLQ-200K SONATA electronic warfare system.
Located along the route of a crude-oil pipeline connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and with Somalia itself racked by civil war, the Somali coastline has become one of the world's top spots for piracy. Reports said over 1,000 pirates have hijacked vessels from foreign nations and taken more than $30 million in ransom.
South Korean cargo ships have also suffered a series of hijackings in recent years. Eight crewmembers of two Dongwon Fisheries tuna ships were released in 2006 for a ransom of $800,000 after being held hostage for four months by pirates.
Two fishing boats of Daechang Fishing were hijacked in May last year, and their 25 crewmembers were released six months later. The latest hijacking occurred last month when Somali pirates kidnapped a cargo vessel carrying a crew of eight South Koreans and 13 Myanmarese. The Seoul government is negotiating with the kidnappers for their release.
According to a National Assembly report, approximately 500 South Korean cargo ships pass the Somali coastline every year. The figure represents some 25 percent of South Korea's total cargo transportation by sea, it said.