Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer

Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers (Korean: 충무공 이순신급 구축함, Hanja: 忠武公李舜臣級驅逐艦) are multipurpose destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship of this class, ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunsin, was launched in May 2002 and commissioned in December 2003. Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers were the second class of ships to be produced in the Republic of Korea Navy's destroyer mass-production program named Korean Destroyer eXperimental, which paved the way for the navy to become a blue-water navy. Six ships were launched by Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in four years.

Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin destroyer
ROKS Yi SunSin (DDH-975)
Class overview
Builders
Operators Republic of Korea Navy
Preceded byGwanggaeto the Great class
Succeeded bySejong the Great class
Built2002-2006
In commission2003–
Active6
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement
  • 5,500 tonnes (5,413 long tons) standard
  • 6,520 tonnes (6,417 long tons) full load
Length150 m (492 ft 2 in)
Beam17.4 m (57 ft 1 in)
Draft9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
PropulsionHanhwa GE LM2500 , Doosan MTU 956 Combined diesel or gas
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement300
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Super Lynx helicopters
NotesWang Geon is currently (April 2015) acting in a NEO/Temporary diplomatic mission role on station off the coast of Yemen. She was originally in the area as part of the Cheonghae Unit rotation.

Weapon systems

The ships have a 32-cell strike-length Mk 41 VLS for SM-2 Block IIIA area-air defence missiles, one 21-round RAM inner-layer defence missile launcher, one 30 mm Goalkeeper close-in weapon system, one Mk 45 Mod 4 127 mm gun, eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles and two triple 324 mm anti-submarine torpedo tubes.

The electronics suite includes one Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)5 2D long-range radar (LRR), one Thales Nederland MW08 target indication 3D radar (TIR), two Thales Nederland STIR240 fire-control radars with OT-134A Continuous Wave Illumination (CWI) transmitters, an SLQ-200(V)K SONATA electronic warfare system and a KDCOM-II combat management system which is derived from the Royal Navy Type 23 frigate's SSCS combat management system. BAE Systems WDS Mk 14 originally developed for the US Navy's New Threat Upgrade evaluates threats, prioritizes them, and engages them in order with SM-2.

On the 4th unit, ROKS Wang Geon, the 32-cell Mk 41 VLS is moved to the left and an indigenous VLS named K-VLS is installed on the right. The ship's forward part is spacious enough to take a 56-cell Mk 41 VLS.

Design

The KDX-II is part of a much larger build up program aimed at turning the ROKN into a blue-water navy. It is said to be the first stealthy major combatant in the ROKN and was designed to significantly increase the ROKN's capabilities.[1]

Ships in the class

NamePennant numberBuilderLaunchedCommissionedStatus
ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sinDDH-975Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering15 May 200230 November 2003Active
ROKS Munmu the GreatDDH-976Hyundai Heavy Industries11 April 200330 September 2004Active
ROKS Dae Jo-yeongDDH-977Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering12 November 200330 June 2005Active
ROKS Wang GeonDDH-978Hyundai Heavy Industries4 May 200510 November 2006Active
ROKS Gang Gam-chanDDH-979Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering16 March 20061 October 2007Active
ROKS Choe YeongDDH-981Hyundai Heavy Industries20 October 20064 September 2008Active

Variants

KDX-IIA

KDX-IIA is a proposed variant of the KDX-II. It will be armed with the advanced Aegis Combat System and will have enhanced features of KDX-II such as stealth. The ship has been offered to the Indian Navy.[2]

Arsenal ship

On August 14, 2019, the Ministry of National Defense unveiled a five year defense plan between 2020 and 2024. The defense plan called for two new naval projects to be developed: the LPX-II-Class Aircraft Carrier and an arsenal ship. The design of the arsenal ship is said to be based on the KDX-II destroyer and is expected to be completed by the late 2020s.[3]

See also

References

Further reading