My guess is that South Korea probably only will become directly involved if the US does, and frankly, if the US becomes directly involved, I think that Russia’s going to either fold or play nuclear hardball, either of which kind of shuffles expanded conventional conflict out of the picture.
Russia has absolutely zero chance against the United States in a conventional war. so you’re right, that they’ll either capitulate, or destroy the world.
And even if that’s 90% capitulate, 10% destroy the world, those aren’t really odds I’m interested in taking.
What’s left in this world for you, except struggle?
The US isn’t interested in direct involvement, they want infinite stalemate.
They actually literally just suggested this themselves.
Ladies and gentlemen: we are the oracles of the modern age.
Oh shit.
Beyond troops, it could also open up Ukraine to South Korea’s arms market. South Korea makes a ton of artillery pieces that it doesn’t sell on the international market. Becoming a cobelligerent with Ukraine could change that.
They also make this thing, which would be GREAT in the Ukrainian theatre, seeing as it’s only a few tons heavier than a T-90, but chock full of essentially current NATO-spec equipment. Also, Poland signed a deal for an absolute SHITLOAD of them (~1000 iirc - yes, a thousand), with local production options, so this would not only be an incredible way to get actual battlefield testing done with them, but also give the Korean arms industry a major cred boost. Not to mention, I would be unsurprised if Ukraine eventually figures out a joint production deal with South Korea, especially if the tanks perform well.
@gravitas_deficiency Both Poland and Romania will buy it, so South Korea will become a hell of a supplier on the NATO’s eastern flank. We are also getting 54 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from them.
How would they get it there though? They’d have to get across China and Russian airspace, or go a long way around.
@sugar_in_your_tea @gravitas_deficiency on the sea. They could get it through the Pacific, then Atlantic through the Panama Straight and then on rail in Europe. Or, since the ice cap is melting, they could be shipping upwards through the Arctic Ocean.
Nobody is airlifting a tank when introducing it to the army. They will ship it to Europe and then move it through Poland, just like everything else.
NonCredibleDefense being way too credible once more. This entire conflict has been way too weird to be non-credible about.
Oooh oooh I have bets that SK loosens restrictions on what they will export and can start power pumping out 155mm shells for Ukraine to squash their northern foe.
They’ve already kinda been doing that, just indirectly. Western partners have been giving their old stock of 155 to Ukraine and then resupplying with Korean made 155s.
I think a real game changer would be if they actually decided to give them access to the K2 tank. It would be interesting to see what an actual modern tank could do in Ukraine, especially considering they have layers of protection against drones and atgm. Plus they can crank them off the production line faster than any other nation.
I was more meaning cut the middle man out to expedite the process…
But also, you’re a fucking genius. Korean Armoured battalions when?!
Is the k2 actually designed for constant combat? Ukraine seemed to really struggle with the abrams, but that’s designed to have equal or greater maintenance time to fighting time.
K2 is just running on a big diesel engine, so it’s not going to be as maintenance prone as the turbine on the Abrams.
I swear to God if I see a Ukrainian K2 I’m going to fucking die from cumming
With ERA slapped all over it 🤤
Born too young to be a furry revolutionary in the siege of Houstonia, municipality of Texania 2049 AD
Nah, here’s their chance to sneak over the fence and pork that swine Kimmy
