Navy launches new fleet command amid heightened N.K. threats

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Navy-new fleet command

SEATTLE, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Navy has launched a new fleet command that will operate multiple destroyers, including those equipped with Aegis combat systems, in efforts to better respond to North Korea's military threats at sea, officials said Sunday.

The Republic of Korea Navy Task Fleet Command, the main force behind the country's three-axis maritime defense against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as a key protector of the nation's sea-based transportation routes, began operations as of February 1, according to a statement from the Navy.

The maritime three-axis system refers to the naval version of the military's three-part defensive structure including the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform, the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation system, and the Korea Air and Missile Defense.

In the event of an emergency, the order will send key warships to waters near the Northern Limit Line, a de facto inter-Korean maritime boundary, and will mobilize them to detect and intercept North Korean missiles while conducting precise strikes on key targets.

The new command supervises 10 destroyers and four support ships, including the recently introduced 8,200-ton Jeongjo the Great destroyer, which features radar-evading technology and the most advanced Aegis combat system, according to the Navy.

Ships built under South Korea's next-generation destroyer project, called KDDX, will also be part of the new command when they are finished.

mlee@yna.co.kr

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