Korea Navy R.o.K Navy (and Marine Corps)

[urban mine]

This is a YouTube channel run by a former submarine captain that provides a little insight into the development process of CIWS-II. The leader of LIG Nex1's CIWS-II development team explains the development purpose, performance, and development schedule of CIWS-II. Following the initial operational test and evaluation next year, it will be deployed on ships in 2027, followed by subsequent evaluations before being put into full-scale operation.

CIWS-II will initially use the licensed GAU-8 and later switch to a domestically produced 30mm Gatling gun.

The design of CIWS-II, which was first unveiled several years ago, is slightly different from the current CIWS-II design. The SWIR camera, which was located in the center, has been moved to the right side of the turret, reportedly due to vibration. The turret design is also different from the old one, and the size of the four-sided AESA radar panels attached to the turret has also changed slightly.

 

[urban mine]

Naval News interviewed a Korean correspondent about the Supercavitating Torpedo currently under development. It is much more detailed than my previous post and even includes test footage. The 1:1 scale model that was unveiled this time is really cool. I'm not sure of the exact length, but it doesn't seem to be 3 meters.

 

[urban mine]

LIG Nex1 completes CIWS-II mass production facility, including system assembly building

The CIWS-II system assembly building and test facilities, completed with a total investment of 21 billion won, are equipped with equipment and facilities optimized for the development and mass production of CIWS-II, including system assembly, system integration and interconnection simulation tests, and performance verification.

 

[urban mine]

ADD has been constructing experimental ships for testing and evaluating naval weapon systems developed in Korea. Before constructing the experimental vessel, it was necessary to requisition a ship belonging to the Navy, which caused many inconveniences due to the poor condition of the ROK Navy at the time. Drilling holes in a ship designed for combat to install test equipment not only compromises the safety of the ship but also incurs significant costs.

ADD's first experimental ship was SUN JIN, which was built in the early 1990s. It was originally part of a SWATH-type anti-submarine patrol ship project that began in the 1980s, but the Navy leadership at the time decided that the project was too ambitious and risky for the South Korean Navy to pursue, and it was canceled.

However, the features of SWATH (wide deck, shape less affected by waves than other ships of the same class, cost reduction, etc.) were advantageous for the experimental ship project that was promoted later, and it was developed based on the SWATH hull form using data from the anti-submarine patrol ship that had been promoted before. In South Korea, SWATH was not well known at the time (the Kaimalino, created by the US Navy in 1972, can be considered a monumental milestone in practical SWATH. After that, ships of this type began to be built around the world.) It can be said that this ship was as advanced as its name suggests, as it was designed independently based on collected data.

After that, it performed tasks such as performance testing of weapon systems such as torpedoes, sonar, missiles, and TASS developed by ADD, ship acoustic measurement testing, and marine environment surveys. SUN JIN was decommissioned in 2012 after completing all of its missions.

Since then, CHEONG HAE, which has a more increased displacement than the general linear, has been responsible for ADD's sea trials. It is an experimental ship with a displacement of 1,200 tons, which is nearly four times that of the SUN JIN, which has a displacement of 310 tons. The CHEONG HAE is equipped with basic functions to measure marine environmental factors such as water depth, temperature distribution, current velocity, underwater sound velocity, and weather conditions in real time, thereby correcting the environmental impact of sea trials and improving the accuracy of test result analysis. In addition, for future naval weapon system sea trials, an integrated information system has been established to enable real-time display and analysis by linking test data measured by various sensors with marine environment data and navigation and engine system data via a network. According to a video released by DAPA, it can be seen that it participated in the development and testing of the next-generation torpedo.

ADD has decided to build a 6,000-ton next-generation experimental ship in preparation for future maritime environments. It will support the Navy's scientific training in conjunction with the newly constructed Samcheok East Coast Test Range on the east coast of South Korea. In addition, it will be equipped with advanced test measurement equipment for the development and practical application of next-generation maritime guided missiles and high-altitude aircraft, and will have long-range, long-term navigation capabilities. Therefore, it will be equipped with VLS (K-VLSI, II, one module each) on the bow, and the stern deck will be equipped with heat-resistant performance for vehicle-mounted guided weapon launch tests. The ship is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.

Republic of Korea Navy Holds Combined Maritime Live-fire Exercise - Naval News

The ROK Navy took part in a combined maritime live-fire exercise with the ROK Army and ROK Air Force in the East Sea on May 10th...

www.navalnews.com

 

[urban mine]

The Navy began operating its new fleet of P-8K "Poseidon" maritime patrol aircraft

 

[urban mine]

As part of Maximization of Performance of Existing Forces, DAPA has completed performance improvements to the SPS-550K of the FFG Batch-I operated by the ROK Navy. The SPS-550K, which has been in operation since 2013, has seen its cooling function weaken over time and the need for maintenance of key components increase, raising the need for performance improvements. Accordingly, the cooling method was improved by adding a refrigerant system to the environmental control unit that supplies air inside the radar and adjusting the supply water flow rate. In addition, the existing SiC devices in the TRM were replaced with GaN devices, and the power supply unit was improved from a series circuit structure to a parallel circuit structure, greatly improving the performance and operational reliability of the equipment.

In the case of FFG Batch-II, GaN SSPA has been applied from the 5th ship onwards. The 1st to 4th ships, which have not yet been upgraded, will also be upgraded soon.

 

[urban mine]

ROKMC participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25)

 

[urban mine]

K-JLOTS manufactured by HJSC.

The Joint Logistics Over The Shore (JLOTS) system is a military supply support process that provides ship equipment and supplies to land combat forces by setting up temporary port facilities to replace existing ports that have been destroyed or damaged and cannot be used.

It can also be used in rescue operations to supply relief supplies, equipment, and daily necessities to island residents isolated by various disasters such as typhoons and fires.

The K- JLOTS system, entirely developed using HJSC' own technology, includes all the specialized equipment used by the U.S. military in actual operations, such as landing craft, floating bridges, bridge tugs, transport support vessels, coastal fuel support vessels, and coastal landing support equipment.

 

[urban mine]

Video of sea trials of the K-JLOTS system released by DAPA.

 

[urban mine]

The ROK Navy held a fleet review in Busan yesterday and today. Originally scheduled to be held in May alongside MADEX to mark the 80th anniversary of the Navy's founding, it was postponed to September due to that rebel leader Yoon Suk-yeol. They had planned to invite foreign vessels to make it fitting for the 80th anniversary, but due to time constraints, it ended up being scaled back to domestic events only.

 

[urban mine]

An engineer's description of KVLS-II. The KVLS-II is a larger VLS compared to the KVLS-1 and is being developed as an Any Cell Any missile, and is expected to integrate systems such as tactical ballistic missiles and high-altitude interceptors.
View attachment 75339
The first ROK Navy ships to be loaded with this VLS will be KDX Batch III and KDDX. The first ROK Navy ships to be loaded with these VLSs will be KDX Batch III and KDDX, with KVLS-I consisting of 8 cells in one module, while KVLS-II consists of 4 cells in one module.
View attachment 75340
The missile systems on the KVLS-II are being developed with an expected 135% increase in flame compared to the missiles on the KVLS-1. This is evidenced by the mention in the video that when the KVLS-II was tested, the uptake hatch was blown off because it could not withstand the amount of flame. Engineers say they've made improvements since this test.
View attachment 75341

Hanwha has completed the full-scale development of KVLS-II.

 

[urban mine]

Video footage capturing the Navy preparing for this fleet review.

 

[urban mine]

ETL Co., Ltd. is a company primarily engaged in stealth coatings and shape research to reduce RCS. ETL was selected for the U.S. Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program in 2023 and signed the contract last August. The recently released news footage shows the process of first applying stealth coating to a South Korean Chamsuri-class patrol boat, then covering it with hatch-gray paint, followed by measuring its RCS. Even by looking at the RCS waveform, you can see that the RCS waveform of a high-speed boat coated with stealth paint has a lower height than that of a conventional high-speed boat. The 36-meter high-speed boat is estimated to have an RCS of approximately 3 meters.

 

[urban mine]

방사청, 기뢰탐색음탐기 국내 개발... LIG넥스원과 계약 - SPN 서울평양뉴스

방위사업청은 30일 LIG넥스원과 '기뢰탐색음탐기'와 '복합감응기뢰소해장비'의 체계개발 계약을 체결하고 국내 독자 기술로 소해함 핵심 장비의 개발에 착수했다. 계

www.spnews.co.kr

ROK DAPA Initiates Domestication of Key Minesweeper Equipment, Ending 40 Years of Foreign Dependency​

- DAPA Signs System Development Contract with LIG Nex1

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on the 30th that it has signed a system development contract with LIG Nex1 for the Mine Detection Sonar and the Combined Influence Minesweeping System.

These two systems are core equipment for minesweepers that the country has relied on foreign technology for over 40 years. Through the contract with LIG Nex1, DAPA will commence development using indigenous domestic technology. The contract is valued at approximately 91.7 billion KRW for the Mine Detection Sonar and approximately 80.1 billion KRW for the Combined Influence Minesweeping System.

Mine Detection Sonar-VDS

The system previously in use was the Thales VDS-2093 WIDEBAND.

Combined Influence Minesweeping System

 

[urban mine]

ETL Co., Ltd. is a company primarily engaged in stealth coatings and shape research to reduce RCS. ETL was selected for the U.S. Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program in 2023 and signed the contract last August. The recently released news footage shows the process of first applying stealth coating to a South Korean Chamsuri-class patrol boat, then covering it with hatch-gray paint, followed by measuring its RCS. Even by looking at the RCS waveform, you can see that the RCS waveform of a high-speed boat coated with stealth paint has a lower height than that of a conventional high-speed boat. The 36-meter high-speed boat is estimated to have an RCS of approximately 3 meters.

At this year's ADEX, ETL released the performance evaluation results for its stealth coating. After applying the coating to an actual Navy high-speed boat on the 30th of last month, an evaluation of how much radar waves it absorbs showed that the high-speed boat at sea, 10km away, absorbed 85 to 88 percent of the radar waves.
In tests by other research institutions, the paint's durability was measured at approximately 3 years, and its weight at about 1.2 times that of water. Military authorities have determined that this stealth coating is feasible for operational deployment.

 

[urban mine]

Robotic welding at Hanwha Shipyard visited by the Canadian Prime Minister.

 

[urban mine]

현대위아, 해상용 근접방어 무기(CIWS-II) 함포체계 첫 출고 | 현대위아

현대위아가 해상용 근접방어무기(CIWS-II, Close-In Weapons System-II)의 함포체계를 개발했다.

www.hyundai-wia.com

Hyundai Wia announced on the 13th that it had held a roll-out ceremony for the gun carriage system of the naval Close-In Weapon System (CIWS-II) at its naval assembly yard in Changwon Special City, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the 12th. Key personnel from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters, Agency for Defense Development, Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, and Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute, along with executives from cooperating companies, attended the event.

The CIWS-II is a ship's last line of defense weapon system, designed to detect and track approaching fighters, anti-ship missiles, and fast attack craft using integrated sensors and radar, and engage them with high-speed firing. Hyundai Wia developed the gun carriage system, which is responsible for firing and maneuvering the CIWS-II. The gun carriage system rolled out that day will be delivered to the system integrator, LIG Nex1. The completed CIWS-II is scheduled to be initially deployed on a ROK Navy operational vessel.

Hyundai Wia developed the CIWS-II gun carriage system by dividing it into the Turret and the Turret Control Unit. The Turret is equipped with a 30mm Gatling gun capable of firing at a maximum rate of over 4,000 rounds per minute. In particular, the Turret was designed to effectively counter attacks from rapidly approaching anti-ship missiles and surface combatants. Hyundai Wia enhanced the ship's survivability by enabling the Turret to utilize various specialized ammunitions, including Missile Penetrator Discarding Sabot (MPDS) and Fragmented Missile Penetrator Discarding Sabot (FMPDS).

 

[urban mine]

HD현대중공업

HD현대중공업은 조선·엔진 부문 세계 점유율 1위의 종합중공업 기업입니다.

www.hhi.co.kr

From a 1974 Oil Tanker to a 2025 Philippine Patrol Vessel: HD Hyundai Delivers the World's First 5,000 Ships

HD Hyundai has set a monumental record, becoming the first in the world to build and deliver 5,000 ships, half a century after handing over its first vessel in 1974.

The 5,000th ship delivered by HD Hyundai is the second patrol vessel for the Philippines, named the 'BRP Diego Silang'. Launched in March and handed over to the Philippine Navy in October, the BRP Diego Silang is a cutting-edge vessel measuring 118.4m in length, 14.9m in width, with a cruising speed of 15 knots (28 km/h), and a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km). HD Hyundai has secured contracts to build a total of 10 naval vessels for the Philippines.

Starting with the first vessel, the 260,000 DWT Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) 'Atlantic Baron' in 1974, HD Hyundai has delivered ships to over 700 ship owners in 68 countries, culminating in the recent delivery of the Philippine patrol vessel, the 'BRP Diego Silang'.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has delivered 2,631 ships.
HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) has delivered 1,570 ships.
HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) has delivered 799 ships.
This is a massive accomplishment that even shipbuilding nations with much longer histories, such as Europe and Japan, have not yet achieved.

If each of the 5,000 ships is assumed to be 250 meters long, their total combined length would reach 1,250 km. This distance is longer than the straight-line distance from Seoul to Tokyo (approx. 1,150 km) and is over 140 times the height of Mount Everest (approx. 8,800m).

Chung Ki-sun, HD Hyundai Vice Chairman & CEO, remarked, "The 5,000 ships represent the pride of South Korea's shipbuilding industry and a history of challenging ourselves that has changed the paradigm of the global maritime industry. Based on this history of challenges we created together, we will power forward towards the next 5,000 ships and another half-century."

Meanwhile, to commemorate the significant milestone of delivering 5,000 ships, HD Hyundai has decided to provide a 300,000 KRW gift certificate to employees of its shipbuilding affiliates and internal partner company workers as a token of gratitude. HD Hyundai's three shipbuilding companies delivered a total of 144 vessels, including container ships, LNG carriers, and PC carriers, to ship owners last year.

 

[urban mine]

The Intelligent 40mm automated air defense system, consistently showcased at various exhibitions from 2023 to the recently held KOREA C-UAS 2025.

This system was urgently procured by the ROKMC following its failure to intercept North Korea's small unmanned aerial vehicle provocations in 2022. Considering that small drones were provoking us from 3km up at the time, it was only natural that the anti-aircraft guns couldn't hit them. But I imagine Yoon Suk-yeol, who was a VIP then, and his leadership were furious.

Anyway, the military is reviewing its existing short-range defense systems and plans to replace the KM167A3 used by the Marine Corps and Army.

The Army has established anti-aircraft positions on the rooftops of high-rise buildings in Seoul to prepare for emergencies. The Marine Corps is also stationed on islands in the West Sea close to North Korea, where they have built anti-aircraft positions. However, the Vulcan system is now too outdated and personnel-intensive.

Hanwha - HWG-40 'Product Movie’
Hanwha has unveiled an unmanned air defense system based on the HWG-40, originally developed for export to India.(But it seems India is just upgrading and using their own Bofors. ) It has been modified into a twin-barrel system, automating the entire firing procedure from target detection and tracking to destruction.

Additionally, the number of personnel was streamlined to the extent that two individuals could operate four artillery pieces at the fire control center. Based on the track information provided by C2A, simply issuing a tracking command causes one of the distributed anti-aircraft guns to automatically track its assigned target using EOTS and fire upon receiving the command. It is said that using MMFA or PFHE as proximity fuses prevents casualties caused by falling projectiles.

 

[urban mine]

View attachment 76181
ADD has decided to build a 6,000-ton next-generation experimental ship in preparation for future maritime environments. It will support the Navy's scientific training in conjunction with the newly constructed Samcheok East Coast Test Range on the east coast of South Korea. In addition, it will be equipped with advanced test measurement equipment for the development and practical application of next-generation maritime guided missiles and high-altitude aircraft, and will have long-range, long-term navigation capabilities. Therefore, it will be equipped with VLS (K-VLSI, II, one module each) on the bow, and the stern deck will be equipped with heat-resistant performance for vehicle-mounted guided weapon launch tests. The ship is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.

Republic of Korea Navy Holds Combined Maritime Live-fire Exercise - Naval News

The ROK Navy took part in a combined maritime live-fire exercise with the ROK Army and ROK Air Force in the East Sea on May 10th...

www.navalnews.com