Seoul: The US chief of naval operations has said it will be a “natural expectation” if Washington anticipates that the South Korean Navy utilises a nuclear-powered submarine, when built, to help counter Chinese threats.
Admiral Daryl Caudle made the remarks as the United States officially approved South Korea’s push to acquire what would be its first nuclear-powered submarine in a joint fact sheet released last week, detailing discussions of summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump on October 29.
“Utilisation of that submarine to counter China, I think, is a natural expectation,” Caudle told reporters in a group interview on Friday, when asked about the possibility of the nuclear submarine playing a role in countering China and reshaping the South Korean Navy’s role in the broader East Asian region, Yonhap News Agency reported.
“With that type of capability, I think with United States would expect that partnership, again, working as an alliance together, to meet our combined goals on what the United States considers to be our pacing threat, which is China. I think to a large extent, Korea shares concerns with China as well, and so that capability should be part of that equation.”
Washington has been pushing allies to increase their defence spending and contribute to “collective defence” as it seeks to strengthen cooperation with allies amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
During their summit held in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, Lee also openly asked Trump to allow his country to secure nuclear fuel supplies for conventionally armed submarines to better track North Korean and Chinese vessels, saying it would ease the operational burden for US forces.
Given the strategic value of a nuclear-powered submarine, which he said “brings a whole different level of capability for deterrence,” the top US naval officer said operating such a vessel will likely put more responsibility on the South Korean Navy, not only regionally but on a global level.
“As they say in the movie Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. I think there will be a responsibility for Korea to deploy those submarines globally and move away from just being a regional navy to a global navy,” Caudle said.
When asked about where the envisioned submarine will be built — whether in South Korea or in a US shipyard acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha as Trump wrote on social media — the US naval chief said it is a matter that should be directed to the White House.
But even with the nuclear submarine project set aside, Caudle underscored the need for a strong partnership between South Korea and the US against China’s grey zone activities, based on a peace through strength model.
“We see this type of activity around the globe, and we are very concerned about it. That’s why our partnership with Korea is so important. There has to be a strong deterrence mechanism, or that type of activity between our two countries,” he said. “It’s my earnest goal with US Seventh fleet and US Pacific Fleet and other joint force partners, along with Korea, to assert that that’s not going to be tolerated.”
Against such a backdrop, Caudle said conducting combined naval drills in international waters in the Yellow Sea to counter China’s threats is “certainly not off the table,” without further commenting on operational details. Currently, such exercises are mostly conducted in the eastern and southern waters off the Korean Peninsula.
Caudle, whose trip to South Korea includes visits to shipyards here, anticipated South Korea to “prominently” play a role in helping bolster the US’ shipbuilding capacity.
While noting that legal hurdles exist for cooperation on combat ships, he said supply ships, auxiliary ships, consul tankers and car carriers are some types of vessels the two countries can work together on “right away” with little restriction.
When asked about North Korea’s move to build up its naval capabilities, Caudle noted that while the North is not a naval threat to the US, keen monitoring is necessary to fend off its activities considered as threats to South Korea, and mentioned underwater drone technology as one area that requires countermeasures.
“I am concerned with the use of unmanned capabilities under the sea, on the sea and above the sea. It is something we have to watch very closely and build the correct countermeasures to make sure we’re not impacted by those evolving technologies.”
(IANS)
