The Navy announced today (3rd) that a ceremony for the establishment of the Mobile Fleet Command was held at the Jeju base under the supervision of Chief of Staff Yang Yong-mo.
In his congratulatory speech, Chief Yang emphasized, “The Mobile Fleet Command is a central unit for powerfully deterring and responding to North Korean provocations at sea and preemptively preparing for emerging potential threats.” He added, “The mission of the mobile fleet is to accomplish the tasks assigned by the nation, regardless of time and place.”
Rear Admiral Kim In-ho was inaugurated as the first commander of the Mobile Fleet Command. Commander Kim, who was commissioned as part of the 48th graduating class of the Naval Academy in 1994, has served as the captain of the Yulgok Yi I destroyer, commander of the Special Warfare Flotilla, the 7th Mobile Squadron commander, and the personnel planning chief at the Navy Headquarters.
Commander Kim stated, “The mobile fleet will play a crucial role in protecting the sovereignty and maritime interests of the Republic of Korea wherever needed by the people,” and pledged, “We will ensure victory with overwhelming power in times of emergency.”
The Mobile Fleet Command, which is based on the Navy’s 7th Mobile Squadron, is organized into three mobile squadrons (71st, 72nd, 73rd squadron), one mobile logistics squadron, and one base squadron.
The fleet includes 10 destroyers such as the state-of-the-art Aegis destroyer Jeongjo the Great (DDG, 8,200-ton class) and four logistics support ships, including the So Yang (AOE-II, 10,000-ton class).
With destroyers like Jeongjo the Great that are capable of detecting and intercepting enemy missiles, it will play a key role in the maritime-based “Korean three-axis system,” which counteracts North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
Unlike the existing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fleets that are responsible for the East, West, and South Seas, the mobile fleet can be deployed anywhere depending on the mission. The task of long-range operations also falls on the mobile fleet equipped with large ships with extended range.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by some 400 participants, including Governor Oh Yeong-hoon of Jeju, Yang Seung-yeol, head of the Gangjeong Community Project Promotion Team, mobile fleet officers, and civil servants.
[Photo source: Yonhap News / Provided by Navy]
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