A US nuclear-powered SSN-776 submarine, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Navy report: Jeju naval base to accommodate US nuclear submarine
Recently acquired documents raise questions about Gangjeong Village as a joint civil-military harbor
By Ha Eo-young, staff reporter
A Navy report from 2009 states that the water depth for a naval base currently under construction on Jeju Island was designed to accommodate a US nuclear submarine.
This latest revelation comes on the heels of allegations that the base was designed to allow a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to make port.
Document 06-520, titled “Basic Plan and Examination Request Basic Plan Report” was acquired from naval headquarters by Democratic United Party lawmaker Kim Kwang-jin. It states in its harbor facility requirement standards section that the “overall depth of the submarine dock was set at 12 meters at the request of the orderer.”
This design depth suggests the base was planned to accommodate the US nuclear-powered SSN-776 submarine, since a depth of 9.3 meters would be adequate for South Korean submarines. This means that the base was designed around a vessel that the South Korean Navy does not current possess, and has no plans to possess.
“The Ministry of National Defense said there were no demands from CNFK [the Commander of US Naval Forces Korea], but from this design it appears that the South Korean government took it upon itself to make [the harbor] big enough for a US warship that might never dock there, without even being asked to,” said Kim.
“If it is built this way, we can’t even guarantee that it will be a South Korean military base, let alone a civil harbor,” he added. The South Korean government previously said the base was being designed as a joint civil-military harbor.
“Suppose the US military comes to Jeju with a nuclear-power aircraft carrier,” Kim continued. “How can we reasonably guarantee that civilians can freely use it for ‘tourism’?”
This is not the first accusation that the Jeju base is being built to US military standards. Previously, observers pointed to phrasing about “water depth meeting the 15.2 m standards of CFNK” in facility construction specifications published by naval headquarters in 2010 as evidence that the base was being tailored to CFNK demands.
“The report was a pamphlet based on documents submitted by the company that performed the study,” said a Navy official. “The client in it is obviously the Navy.”
“The design is a preemptive step to allow all submarines above a certain size to make port, not just a US nuclear-powered submarine,” the official added.
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# Save Jeju Now adds….
Mr. Go Gwon-Il, chairman of the villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base has done in-depth research about the issue on the submarines that may moor in the Jeju naval base. According to him, it is possible to station total 80 trident nuclear missiles in the coast, which is enough number to annihilate China.
According to his research, it is possible that total 4 submarines, including maximum two nuclear-propelled submarines that loads 24 numbers of 8,000km range nuclear missiles each and two nuclear submarines each that loads 16 nuclear missiles, and more than two multipurpose attack type submarines can be moored and equipped.
In detail,
The length of the submarine dock, 365m is enough for the simultaneous mooring of the US nuclear submarines of the Ohio(the biggest) and George Washington class loaded with ballistic missiles.
The dock for the mid-size ship/ submarine is for a combination of diverse US nuclear submarines. Submarines of attack type or ballistic missile submarines can be moored.
Among the US nuclear submarines, the submarine with the deepest draft is the Sea Wolf class, which is multipurpose attack ship and draft is 10.66m. That is why the water depth of 12m has been demanded for the submarine dock, by the Commander, US Navy Forces of Korea (CNFK).
For the photos and tables, see http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/49kU/2039
