HHI has won the construction contracts for all three vessels of the KDX-III Batch-II program for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy. The lead ship, ROKS Jeongjo the Great, was launched on July 28th of last year and is currently undergoing sea trials before being delivered to the ROK Navy. The keel laying ceremony for the second ship of the next-generation Aegis destroyer is expected to take place in March next year, followed by its launch and subsequent sea trials starting from 2025. It is scheduled to be delivered to the ROK Navy in December 2026.
During the event, Vice Chairman of HHI, Han Yeong-seok stated “Following the Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyer, HHI has demonstrated its world-class shipbuilding technology by independently conducting the detailed design and construction of the Jeongjo the Great-class Aegis destroyer. The construction of the 2nd ship, which commenced today, will also contribute to strengthening the naval power of the Republic of Korea Navy through the accumulated technological expertise and project management capabilities.”
KDX-III Batch-II destroyer are designed to be 170 meters long, 21 meters wide, and displace 8,200 tons, with a maximum speed of 30 knots. It features a fuel-saving auxiliary propulsion system consisting of two 1.7MW-class electric motors, which enhance fuel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
Equipped with the latest Aegis Combat System (Aegis Baseline 9.C2 derivative with software variant “KII” and BMD baseline 5, which allows the use of SM-3 Block IB), the KDX-III Batch-II destroyers will offer improved tracking and interception capabilities against ballistic missiles compared to the preceding KDX-III Batch-I Aegis destroyers.
Weapon systems include the Mk.45 5-inch main gun, Phalanx CIWS, C-Star Ship-to-Ship Guided Missile, Blue Shark torpedo, a total of 88 VLS cells mixed with KVLS and Mk.41 VLS to accommodate SM-2, SM-3 (possibly or L-SAM), SM-6, K-SAAM, Hypersonic Cruise Missile, Red Shark ASROC, and the new Ship-to-Ground Ballistic Missile, which commenced development in April of this year. Additionally, it will feature improved Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities with an integrated sonar system and countermeasures.
Coverage of KDX-III Batch-II destroyer with HHI during MADEX 2023:
