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Further Reading

Landing Ships, Tank-2 (LST-2 / LST-II)

The military plans to build four 4,500-ton class landing ships between 2013 and 2016, officials revealed on 19 June 2007. The vessels will be introduced in accordance with the Navy's project, dubbed LST-2. "We will embark on the ship project next year to build four units of the 4,500-ton class vessels, using indigenous technology. We have already finished initial research on the project," a Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The Navy currently operates four 2,700-ton landing ships. The construction of 4,500-ton Landing Ships, Tank-2 (LST-2) will get underway in 2008, with four LST-2 vessels expected to be combat-ready between 2013 and 2016.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the $850 million LST-II project on 09 November 2008 to build four indigenous, 4,500-ton amphibious warfare ships between 2014 and 2017. The ships will be fitted with 76mm 62-caliber guns and anti-guided missile systems. It is intended to support independent Brigade-Level landing operations during Wartime, and to transport troops, equipments and supplies to Base / Islands during peacetime. The Load Capacity is 2 Helicopters, LCM or LCVP, 10 Tanks, and 15 Vehicles.

Landing Ships since disembarkation operations involve discharging troops to regions that the enemy controls, defense plans and defensive measures for the airspace, waters and nearby land must be established beforehand, and all factors needed to establish and maintain a bridgehead must be taken into consideration. For this to happen, units with a wide range of equipment must be organized, and since this calls for large-scale amphibious operations, various personnel and equipment transport ships have been developed.

The LST type landing ship that carries and transports disembarking boats on its deck, and transports troops or heavy equipment by operations, various personnel and equipment transport ships have been developed. The following are some examples: The LST type landing ship that carries and transports disembarking boats on its deck, and transports troops or heavy equipment by discharging these boats at shores near their destinations, or brings the ship itself close to the shore; Dock-type landing ships that load high-speed disembarkation boats on the well deck of the ship and discharges these; Charge landing ships that carry out 3-dimensional operations using helicopters; and command vessels designed to command complex amphibious operations without any disorder.

A conventional landing ship tank (LST) risks being detected by the enemy as it approaches the coastline for a landing. In the future the ROK Navy expects landing ships to develop into multi-functional vessels that can carry out operations in cooperation with light carriers to gain control over waters or transport troops and equipment, in preparation of limited warfare, or in the case of large ships, the operation of short-range takeoff and landing aircraft, and the equipment of landing operation helicopters and airborne high-speed landing boats will become basic requirements.