The South Korean Navy is pursuing a 30,000-ton Manned-Unmanned Teaming Carrier, a light aircraft carrier-class vessel, as part of its response to shifting maritime threats including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
The Navy said it would push to secure the carrier by the early 2040s, during a parliamentary audit of Navy Headquarters and the Marine Corps Headquarters held by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee at Gyeryongdae on the 20th.
The Navy had originally pursued a light aircraft carrier capable of launching fighter jets at sea, but shifted direction toward the manned-unmanned teaming carrier as unmanned assets such as drones grew more important in modern warfare. The vessel, often called a drone carrier, is designed primarily to carry unmanned systems rather than manned aircraft. The Navy filed the operational requirement in October last year, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff is reviewing it.
The planned carrier would measure 270 meters long and 70 meters wide, with a light displacement of more than 30,000 tons. That is more than double the displacement of the Dokdo, currently the largest surface ship in the South Korean military at 199 meters long and 14,000 tons.
The Navy plans to equip the carrier with more than 20 unmanned assets, including naval unmanned combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and reconnaissance as well as suicide attacks, and unmanned surface vessels for swarm attacks and mine warfare. It would also carry more than 20 manned assets, such as amphibious transport and attack helicopters and high-speed landing craft.
The Navy is also pursuing a nuclear-powered submarine, targeting deployment in the late 2030s. It established a nuclear-powered submarine task force in May. The government has said it plans to launch the lead boat of a South Korean nuclear-powered submarine, fueled by low-enriched uranium of less than 20%, in the mid-2030s and deploy it in the late 2030s.
"A strong naval force is the foundation of this maritime defense and a core capability underpinning maritime sovereignty and the nation's peace and prosperity," Navy Chief of Staff Kim Kyung-ryul said at the audit.