In response
to French Anonymous’ January 2, 2024 comments:
Thank you
for your K15 and K22 explanation - although I don't know enough about the inner
workings a naval reactors eg. "fluxes".
A partly
useful technical description is at https://media.nti.org/pdfs/Replacing_HEU_in_Naval_Reactors_Report_FINAL.pdf
which includes many references to France and LEU naval reactors.
I have been
looking back to Submarine Matters’ articles on long term South Korean (SK) interest in
France's Barracuda SSN and the K15. The K15 is attractive as its LEU levels should reduce US opposition to SK acquiring them or building indigenous SK LEU submarine reactors. Submarine Matters’ articles include:
- https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2019/10/south-korea-looking-at-frances.html
and
- https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/12/s-korean-built-nuke-sub-reactor-likely.html
+++++++++++++++++
Also of
particular interest is the US Government's Radio Free Asia (RFA's) South Korean
language article. When translated to English it states:
TITLE: "South
Korean Navy “Efforts to secure nuclear submarines...useful in responding to
North Korean SLBMs”
of October 10, 2019
at https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/nk_nuclear_talks/ne-hw-10102019083107.html
TEXT: "Navy
Chief of Staff Admiral Shim Seung-seop is answering questions from lawmakers
during the National Assembly National Defense Committee's audit of the Navy
Headquarters held at Gyeryong University in South Chungcheong Province [South
Korea or simply "Korea"] on [October 10, 2019].
Anchor: The
South Korean [SK] Navy announced that it is working to secure nuclear-powered
submarines as part of measures to strengthen its naval power, including in
response to North Korea's SLBMs, or submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Reporter
Hong Seung-wook reports from Seoul.
On the 10th,
the National Defense Committee audit of the National Assembly was held at
Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province, an integrated base for the three
forces of the ROK Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The [SK]
Navy announced in its work report today that it is working to secure
nuclear-powered submarines to strengthen its naval power and is operating a
task force in this regard, a temporary organization formed to resolve the task.
The [SK]
Navy said, “We are operating our own task force from a long-term perspective,”
and explained that securing nuclear-powered submarines is a matter to be
decided based on national policy, and that we will pursue collaboration with
the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the future.
This can be
interpreted as emphasizing the need to secure nuclear-powered submarines from a
long-term perspective.
[SK] Navy
Chief of Staff Admiral Shim Seung-seop said at the event,
“As nuclear-powered
submarines are capable of long-term underwater operations, we believe they will
be most useful in continuously tracking and destroying North Korea’s SLBMs, or
submarines equipped with submarine-launched ballistic missiles.”
He also
emphasized that nuclear-powered submarines are a useful deterrent force that
can respond to neighbouring countries, including North Korea.
Previously,
North Korea test-launched a new SLBM, the Pukguksong-3, into the East Sea on [October
2, 2019] three days before the US-North Korea denuclearization working-level
talks.
South Korean
Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo (last 2nd): I believe this is an
intention to increase negotiating power as much as possible (ahead of
working-level negotiations on denuclearization between the United States and
North Korea). In addition, on the 1st, South Korea's Armed Forces Day, it
showed off its latest military capabilities, but since North Korea has been
criticizing or making statements about its military reinforcements, we are
considering whether North Korea launched a missile in the early morning of the
2nd while taking these factors into consideration.
Rep. Choi
Jae-seong of the Democratic Party of Korea, Korea's ruling party, also raised
the need to introduce nuclear-powered submarines through a questionnaire for
the National Assembly audit at the Navy Headquarters.
Representative
Choi said that according to the results of the Korean Navy's research service,
nuclear-powered submarines have significantly better operational performance
than diesel submarines currently in operation and were evaluated as the most
useful force for operation on the Korean Peninsula.
At the same
time, he explained that there are no restrictions under the NPT, the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, the IAEA, and the International Atomic Energy
Agency's safeguards agreements.
Baek
Seung-ju, a lawmaker from the Liberty Korea Party, South Korea's main
opposition party, presented the contents of a naval research report on the need to consider introducing France's
5,300-ton 'Barracuda' nuclear submarine along with developing its own nuclear submarine
in preparation for North Korea's SLBM provocation. It was also made public.
The report
titled ‘Usefulness and possibility of building nuclear-powered submarines on
the Korean Peninsula,’ written by ‘Independent Defense Network’, a South Korean
security citizen group, at the request of the Navy, said, “It is an effective
way to carry out a surprise strike against North Korea in case of emergency and
to suppress North Korea’s submarine activities.” “There is a need to develop
nuclear-powered submarines that can detect and attack missiles before they are
launched.”
[the article
then moves to SK surface ships – mainly destroyers]
