US to Give South Korea's Navy a Boost

Joint training exercises planned
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted May 31, 2010 11:17 AM CDT
US to Give South Korea's Navy a Boost
South Korean Navy patrol boats dropped anchors at a naval base in Incheon, South Korea, Tuesday, May 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Ha Sa-hun)

South Korea is about to get a little help from a friend: In response to the ease with which North Korea sank a South Korean warship, the US plans to help the South shore up its naval defenses, say American officials. The South has spent billions on defense in recent years, effectively allowing the US, committed to come to its ally's aid in the event of a North Korean invasion, to reel in its presence on the Korean Peninsula. But the attack pointed to the reality that North Korea, too broke to train its troops or bankroll a conventional war, is investing in hard-to-detect technologies.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the plan will comprise both joint training exercises and an effort bolster the country's antisubmarine warfare techniques. To effectively defend itself against the mini-subs, South Korea will have to expand its antisubmarine network, using costly new air or sonar techniques, to include waters it long-assumed were so shallow they didn't need to be monitored, reports the New York Times. (More South Korea stories.)

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