In this blog post, we will examine how warships—the main combat power of the Republic of Korea Navy that defends the seas—differ from ordinary vessels and what specialized functions they perform.
The Republic of Korea, where we live, is a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides. Since North Korea—with which we remain in a state of armistice—lies to the north, the only side connected to the mainland, South Korea finds itself in a geopolitical situation that is virtually that of an isolated island. Under these conditions, the sea holds great strategic value for us. For instance, most of our imports and exports, including fossil fuels and raw materials, are traded via the sea, and the various seafood that frequently appears on our dining tables is also sourced from the sea. As such, the sea is truly precious to us. When considering the utility of the sea from a national security perspective, while threats from external sources have historically often come via land, they have also frequently come via the sea. Prime examples include the Imjin War and the severe invasions by Japanese pirates that occurred before and after it. Currently, various issues surrounding the territory of the Republic of Korea—including Dokdo—are unfolding at sea, and these situations cause us anxiety. However, we have people who protect our nation from these various threats and ensure that those who use the sea can travel freely. They are the Republic of Korea Navy. As a maritime force providing national security services, the Republic of Korea Navy works tirelessly day and night to fulfill its assigned missions. One of the primary assets the Navy uses to carry out its missions is the warship. In this article, I intend to discuss how warships differ from other vessels and what special functions they can perform compared to civilian ships. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the importance of warships by sharing with a wide audience how they move and what functions they perform.
Like other vessels, warships rely on buoyancy to float on the water. Buoyancy is the upward force exerted on an object in water or air by the surrounding fluid. A ship displaces a large volume of water through its hollow hull; as a result, the weight of the displaced water balances the ship’s weight, allowing it to float on the water. Furthermore, ships are designed to possess righting stability, which allows them to return to their original position when tilted by waves. This stability is determined by factors such as the ship’s center of gravity, the point of application of buoyancy, and the metacenter, enabling the ship to navigate stably even in high waves. Compared to civilian vessels, warships are designed with hulls, stability, and propulsion systems tailored to military missions so they can conduct operations even in rough sea conditions. This is to ensure they can remain active at sea for as long as possible, even in situations where other vessels find it difficult to operate due to severe weather. I recall a time when I was serving on a naval vessel in the East Sea; even as other ships sought shelter in port due to high waves, we remained out in the East Sea until the very end, maintaining our patrol. Our naval vessels possess this unique capability to carry out missions that distinguishes them from commercial ships. Furthermore, unlike most merchant ships, which use diesel engines as their primary propulsion system to prioritize cost-effectiveness and fuel efficiency, warships designed for high speed and maneuverability often use gas turbines—similar to those found in aircraft—as their propulsion system. While their speed might not be considered fast when compared to cars on land, warships are capable of sailing much faster than ordinary merchant ships on the water.
In addition to the general characteristics of a hull, the most distinctive feature of a warship is that it carries various weapons. Warships use these weapons and detection equipment to locate and, if necessary, engage targets on land, other vessels on the water, aircraft in the sky, and even submarines beneath the surface.
Ships are equipped with systems that allow them to navigate even at night or in thick fog by using radar—a radio wave detection device—to detect surrounding vessels and obstacles. Radar works by emitting radio waves; when these waves reach a target and are reflected back, the system measures the returning signals to determine the direction and distance of the object. During my time serving in the East Sea, I was often in awe of our warships, which could navigate safely and without major difficulty even in fog so thick that the bow was invisible. While this was undoubtedly made possible by the skilled crew members operating the warships, I was also constantly amazed by the equipment and technological capabilities aboard the ships that made such feats possible. In addition to these technologies, the Republic of Korea Navy’s Aegis destroyers are equipped with the AN/SPY-1D(V), a multifunction phased-array radar capable of simultaneously detecting and tracking multiple targets. The SPY-1D(V) on the King Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers is known to be capable of detecting and tracking over 1,000 targets, and with the recent introduction of next-generation assets such as the King Jeongjo the Great-class Aegis destroyers, their detection, tracking, and ballistic missile defense capabilities have been further strengthened. In this way, the technological capabilities and combat systems of these warships are continuously evolving.
In 2008, I had the opportunity to pass through the Suez Canal aboard a warship. The Suez Canal is operated in a manner that ensures the order and safety of vessel passage, with multiple ships transiting according to established procedures. At that time, when a warship was part of a convoy, it positioned itself at the front or rear of the convoy to protect the other vessels as they transited the Suez Canal. In this way, warships also carry out missions to support and protect the safety of civilian vessels—including those of other nations—anytime and anywhere. The current deployment of the Republic of Korea Navy’s Cheonghae Unit in the waters near Somalia and the Gulf of Aden to support international maritime security and the safety of South Korean vessels is a prime example of the missions carried out by warships.
During the Imjin War, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, guided by the belief that enemies coming from the sea must be repelled at sea, made relentless efforts to strengthen naval capabilities; as a result, he was able to defeat a large number of Japanese forces at sea. This logic remains valid today. We can only defend our country by properly defending our seas. In this sense, the existence of the Republic of Korea Navy is crucial, and warships—the Navy’s primary combat systems—are the very lifeblood of the Navy. Shipbuilding technology and weapons systems for warships continue to advance today. In the future, warships with even more remarkable designs and capabilities will continue to be developed. We need to take an active interest in and monitor these technological advancements.
