First Asian nation to serve as CFMCC

Command role puts combined maritime operations capability to the test

The Navy conducts a maritime maneuver exercise. [Photo = Navy]
The Navy conducts a maritime maneuver exercise. [Photo = Navy]

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Gyeong-ryul's visit to RIMPAC, the world's largest multinational maritime exercise, is drawing attention to the South Korean military's combined operations capability and its readiness for the transfer of wartime operational control.

The Navy announced Tuesday that Kim will travel to Hawaii and New York from Tuesday through Sunday to inspect South Korean units participating in this year's RIMPAC and to attend an international fleet review marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

In Hawaii, Kim plans to pay his respects at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific before visiting the RIMPAC training site to encourage the troops.

RIMPAC is a biennial exercise held among Pacific Rim nations to strengthen their collective ability to respond to maritime threats. This year's edition involves more than 40 ships, over 140 aircraft and approximately 25,000 personnel.

Of particular significance is that South Korea is serving as the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander, or CFMCC — the first Asian nation to hold the role.

The CFMCC is a key command position responsible for the integrated command of combined maritime forces. The role gives the South Korean Navy and Marine Corps a substantive test of their ability to command a multinational naval force, and it signals that the South Korean military has moved beyond mere participation to developing the capacity to lead combined maritime operations.

Observers inside and outside the military say this development is directly linked to the structure of South Korea-led combined operations following an operational control transfer. Under the principle of a conditions-based OPCON transfer, South Korea and the United States are conducting phased verification of the South Korean military's core capabilities, with combined and joint command ability a central evaluation criterion.

During RIMPAC, Kim is scheduled to hold separate bilateral talks with Adm. Stephen Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, and Adm. Saito Akira, chief of staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. A trilateral luncheon will follow to discuss maritime security cooperation between South Korea and the United States, South Korea and Japan, and on a multilateral basis.

After RIMPAC, Kim will travel to New York to attend the international fleet review commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The review, set for Friday (local time), will draw participants from more than 50 countries. Kim plans to observe the parade of ships and aircraft and encourage the crew of the South Korean destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great.

Kim is also scheduled to meet with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle and Acting Under Secretary of the Navy William Toti to discuss ways to strengthen the combined defense posture and maritime security cooperation between the two countries.

"South Korea's performance as CFMCC at RIMPAC and the experience of commanding a multinational naval force will serve as an important milestone in demonstrating the South Korean military's ability to lead combined operations after the OPCON transfer," a military official said.


rimsclub@heraldcorp.com