South Korea - Navy to get new unit for submarines by 2015

The South Korean military will establish a new submarine command within the Navy by 2015 as part of its efforts to strengthen its underwater operational capabilities.

In a related development, the navies of South Korea and the U.S. will be holding a five-day joint anti-submarine drill from Feb. 20 in the West Sea.

The exercise is aimed at increasing the allies’ ability to counter North Korean submarines and to familiarize the troops with a variety of drills.

According to reports, the military has allocated 639 million won ($565,000) of its 2012 budget for the plans to establish a submarine command.

Although the Ministry of National Defense had not highlighted the submarine command plan in announcing its budget for the year, the budget allocation was revealed by the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee.

“The fund was included in the budget to cover expenses including base operations with the aim of establishment in