2022 brought domestic defense projects to India, South Korea, Thailand
FORUM Staff
Homegrown defense projects dotted the Indo-Pacific in 2022 as leaders eyed long-term security and economic goals. Much of the work was spurred by tensions with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its expansionist policies, destabilizing missile launches and aggressive rhetoric from North Korea, and lessons learned from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Indo-Pacific nations are also using fast-growing defense budgets to bolster domestic expertise and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
India commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier, Indian Naval Ship Vikrant, in September, joining an elite handful of naval powers with more than one carrier in service. (Pictured: Indian Navy officers stand on the flight deck of the INS Vikrant in Kochi, India, on September 2, 2022.) Its capabilities include airborne anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, air interdiction, offensive and defensive counter-air, and airborne early warning systems.
India’s Cochin Shipyard built the U.S. $2.9 billion INS Vikrant, a project aided by more than 100 Indian firms. In early December, India’s defense minister, Rajnath Singh, said the country had begun work on its second homegrown aircraft carrier. The PRC is seen as India’s main naval competitor in the Indo-Pacific. Analysts say India, which began operating aircraft carriers in 1961, has an advantage. “On paper, China’s new carriers have more capabilities … However, India has decades of experience operating carrier aviation forces while China is still learning,” John Bradford, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told U.S. news broadcaster CNN.
Also in December, India commissioned the domestically built INS Mormugao, the second of its P15B stealth guided-missile destroyers. Its hull design and radar-transparent deck fittings make the vessel difficult to detect, reports The Indian Express newspaper, and the ship’s weaponry includes surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles as well as Indian-developed rocket and torpedo launchers.
South Korea’s domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet completed its first test flight in July 2022. (Pictured: South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration released this photo of South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet’s inaugural flight.) Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, the next-generation aircraft is hailed as the future backbone of the nation’s air force. It represents a push to replace aging jets as North Korea ramps up nuclear and missile threats. South Korea and Indonesia have agreed to jointly develop the fighter in a U.S. $6.16 billion project, with Jakarta paying 20% of the cost. Mass production is scheduled to begin in 2026.
South Korea also said in 2022 that it will develop its first domestically produced long range, air-to-ground guided missile. A U.S. $146 million project, it will be fitted to the KF-21 fighter.
In Thailand, reforms helped grow the domestic defense industry, with next-generation systems and technology transfers the priorities, said the Sydney, Australia-based Lowy Institute, an international affairs think tank.
On opening day of the Defense & Security 2022 exhibition, Thailand’s Defense Technology Institute (DTI) unveiled its new D-Tiger armored vehicle. The tactical vehicle was developed for the Royal Thai Armed Forces and for export customers, particularly in Southeast Asia, reported defense news website Janes. The 12-metric-ton tactical vehicle, created by DTI and Thai defense firm Chaiseri Metal and Rubber Co., is designed for command-and-control operations and for infantry. It uses Thai technology and components. A second armored vehicle introduced at the 2022 exhibition, the D-Lion, is a joint project by Thailand’s Jatunapas Co. and South African defense manufacturer Paramount. The infantry combat vehicle, with room for four soldiers and a gunner, will also be made in Thailand.
TOP IMAGE
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS
