China, Korean Nuclear Firing Drill with H-6K Bombers
China reportedly can equip each of the 16 bombers deployed during the drill with 6 CJ-10/20 series air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM) with a range of 1243~1553 miles or 4 B-61-based air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBM) with a range of 310~372 miles, both of which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. If the 16 bombers fire ALCMs at the Korean Peninsula, they can drop 96 nuclear bombs, and if they fire ALBMs, they can drop 64 nuclear bombs.
Even further reported that China can also launch an attack with over 150 ground-to-ground ballistic missiles from five missile launch brigades (36 units) targeting the Korean Peninsula. If North Korea joins in, the worst-case scenario could be hundreds of ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs simultaneously flying toward the south of the Korean Peninsula, creating a very threatening situation.
Military experts judge blocking this with the South Korean combined forces is virtually impossible. The first line of defense is the 2nd Fleet of the Navy in the West Sea, but the missiles equipped on two destroyers and four escort ships are insufficient to block ballistic missiles, which have a range of less than 12 miles, as they are for ship defense.
The second line of defense is the response of the Air Force’s fighter jets, but a significant number of nuclear-armed missiles will fall on land even if some are intercepted by F15K and F16 series fighter jets. The third line of defense, ground-to-air missile systems such as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and PAC3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3), targets the north, so it’s not easy to block missiles flying from China’s West Seaside, according to the general analysis.
For this reason, some argue that if the possibility of massive attacks, including nuclear warheads from China and North Korea, is considered in the event of simultaneous invasions of Taiwan by China and provocations against the South by North Korea, South Korea’s nuclear armament alone could be a valuable deterrent to prevent China and North Korea from easily launching nuclear attacks.
Retired military generals who served in the military leadership of South Korea insist on the need for independent nuclear armament. They argue that if the former U.S. president Donald Trump is elected in the U.S. election in November this year, there will be a movement to withdraw U.S. forces from Korea during Trump’s second term, highlighting our government’s need to hurry to prepare for independent nuclear armament.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Jung Seung Jo, attended the 2nd KWO Najee Forum held at the War Memorial in Yongsan on the afternoon of the 11th as a panelist and stated that after Trump’s election, “If there is talk of withdrawal or reduction of U.S. forces in Korea, we need to take it as an opportunity to approach strengthening our nuclear capabilities to enhance deterrence against North Korean provocations.”
Jung argues that if there is a movement to withdraw or reduce U.S. forces in Korea, we should use it as an opportunity to enhance the capabilities of the Korean military, including nuclear armament. Han Ki Ho, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee and a retired army lieutenant general, also argued for independent nuclear armament in the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Security Special Committee, saying, “There is no countermeasure against nuclear weapons other than nuclear weapons. We need to consider this seriously.”
Another participant in the forum, former Ambassador to Japan Shin Kak Soo, also emphasized the need to prepare for independent nuclear armament, saying, “(Trump) There is a possibility of resuming negotiations through a U.S.-North Korea summit in his second term based on his first-term experience, and he may effectively recognize (North Korea) as a nuclear-armed state in exchange for some nuclear weapons remaining and sanctions being lifted. (For our country) It could be an opportunity to enhance nuclear deterrent capabilities, such as latent nuclear capabilities and tactical nuclear deployment, so it needs to be well utilized.”
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