S.Korean Navy Plans Unmanned Warships, Submarines to Make up for Troops Shortage

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is seeking to create a new command running unmanned ships, submarines and aircraft in the 2040s, in an effort to address a potential troop shortage caused by the country's low birthrate.

During a parliamentary audit, the Navy unveiled a series of policy goals, including removing one of the three fleet commands and creating the new command employing unmanned naval assets, Yonhap reported.

The envisioned command is to comprise three units -- the unmanned surface ship, submarine and aviation groups.

For the change in its overall force structure, the Navy plans to curtail the percentage of conscripts in its personnel makeup to 20% in the 2040s from the current 37.1%.

The percentage of unmanned assets in its overall operations currently stands at 1%. The Navy plans to increase that percentage to 9% in the mid-2020s, 28% in the mid-2030s and 45% in the 2040s.

In addition, ROKN emphasized its focus on establishing a key deterrence system that includes the underwater Kill Chain strike system and maritime multilayered missile defense platform.

The Kill Chain program employs the Navy's next-generation 3,000-ton submarine, maritime surveillance aircraft and naval helicopters. The missile defense platform consists of the country's high-tech Aegis destroyers.

Seoul is expected to spend some 30.5 trillion won ($21.1 billion) from 2023-2027 to establish the "three-axis" deterrence system which consists of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict; the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform; and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system.

The Marine Corps also wants to buy hypersonic air-to-surface missiles.