ROK Navy takes another step toward blue-water navy

On February 3rd, the ROK Navy officially announced the completion of the planned expansion of Task Flotilla Seven into Task Fleet Command. The new Task Fleet Command, operating under the ROK Fleet Command, carries out missions such as protecting sea lines of communication, maintaining readiness against the North Korean threat, deploying for multinational maritime security efforts, and participating in joint exercises like RIMPAC. As the strongest backbone of the Republic of Korea Navy, it serves as the main force advancing toward a blue-water navy.

The new Task Fleet Command consists of three task squadrons (71st, 72nd, and 73rd), each composed of Sejong the Great-class (DDG-I, 7,600-ton) and Jeongjo the Great-class (DDG-II, 8,200-ton) Aegis destroyers, as well as Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class (DDH-II, 4,400-ton) destroyers. Additionally, it includes one mobile logistics squadron (77th), which consists of logistics support vessels such as the Cheonji-class fast combat support ship (AOE-I) and the Soyang-class fast combat support ship (AOE-II), along with the Jeju Base Squadron, which is responsible for onshore base protection and support missions. In the future, six domestically developed KDDX destroyers will be integrated into the Task Fleet.

Meanwhile, the recently commissioned ROKS Jeongjo the Great, now the flagship of the Task Fleet Command, conducted an exercise the previous day, simulating the interception of a North Korean submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and the sinking of an enemy submarine. This exercise tested its new capability in detecting and intercepting ballistic missiles, as well as its enhanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability with a new variable depth sonar (VDS).

DDG-II Jeongjo the Great-class Destroyer

The Jeongjo the Great-class destroyer is the Republic of Korea Navy’s latest domestically designed and constructed Aegis destroyer, serving as a key asset in the fleet with enhanced ballistic missile and air defense detection capabilities, as well as ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities, making it highly strategic in value. Lead vessel of the class ROKS Jeongjo the Great is also the flagship of the new Task Fleet Command and will be the core of each Task Squadron when the 2nd and 3rd vessel of the class become operational.

The ROKS Jeongjo the Great has a light displacement of 8,200 tons and an overall length of 170 meters, making it slightly longer than the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, with a beam of approximately 21 meters. Compared to the Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III Batch-I), the Jeongjo the Great-class destroyer has an increased displacement of 600 tons.

While it features 88 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, fewer than the 128 on Batch-I, it is equipped to operate SM-3 and SM-6 missiles for Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) and integrates the ROK Navy’s new KVLS-II, allowing it to launch surface-to-land ballistic missiles capable of striking key enemy ground and underground targets. However, due to the reduced number of VLS cells and the prioritization of land-attack capabilities, it has less fleet air defense capability compared to the Sejong the Great-class. As a result, the Jeongjo the Great-class is expected to be primarily focused on precision strike and strategic land-attack missions rather than fleet-wide air defense.

Though not publicly disclosed, the ballistic missile for the KVLS-II is highly likely to be the naval version of the Hyunmoo-IV (Hyunmoo-IV-2) and is expected to play a key role in executing the Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), a second-strike component of South Korea’s Tri-Axis Doctrine.

The lead vessel, ROKS Jeongjo the Great, currently has a 4-cell prototype test module of the KVLS-II installed on the stern, allowing the crew to test it during exercises and trials over the one-year period before the ship becomes fully operational. The development of KVLS-II is expected to be completed this year, with full operational deployment for the ROK Navy planned by 2027.

Naval News had the opportunity to visit the HD HHI Ulsan Shipyard to see Jeongjo the Great (DDG-995), the Aegis destroyer delivered to the ROK Navy last year, and to inquire about the vessel’s future plans. During the visit, Naval News asked whether the 20mm Phalanx CIWS could be replaced with the indigenous CIWS-II, currently being developed by LIG Nex1. However, HD HHI technical specialists explained that integrating the CIWS-II into a U.S.-made fire-control system would be both costly and technically challenging, making its adoption for the Jeongjo the Great class implausible. They further noted that the CIWS-II employs a different computational method, adding another layer of complexity to integration.

Additionally, in light of the increasing threat posed by high-speed suicide drone boats, Naval News inquired about the possibility of equipping the destroyer with higher-caliber remote weapon stations (RWS) for enhanced countermeasures. However, HD HHI specialists stated that there are currently no plans to add RWS to the ships.