Elon Musk owned SpaceX advanced South Korea’s first ever military communication satellite on Tuesday. The ANASIS-II aims to enhance the country’s ability to defend itself against its nuclear-strong neighbour in the North. This launch has made South Korea, the tenth country in the world to own a “military-only” communication satellite providing ‘permanent security and military communication’.
This mission was helmed by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It is expected to improve the countries independent operational activities in the difference front, and it is expected to reach an orbit of 36,000 kilometres in 2 weeks.
NDTV reported that Seoul is looking to enhance its military capabilities as it pushes to end an arrangement under which, if war breaks out, American commanders will have authority over their combined forces. The satellite was “expected to improve the South Korean military’s independent operational capabilities”, an official at its defence ministry told Yonhap news agency.
Seoul and Washington are security allies and the US stations 28,500 troops in the country. But their relationship has been strained in recent years, triggered by differences in their approaches to Pyongyang, and over cost-sharing responsibilities.