Korea KDX (Gwanggaeto) Destroyer program

[Test7]

ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great (DDH-971) patrolling water near Dokdo Islands

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Wednesday it upgraded combat system and target detection capabilities of the navy’s Yan Manchun 3200-ton destroyer.

The warship was delivered to the Navy at the Jinhae naval base in the southeastern city of Changwon.

The vessel can now handle three times as much data on targets at a speed 100 times faster than the previous version, the arms procurement agency said.
It is first of three KDX-I (Gwanggaeto the Great-class) destroyers to be upgraded under the Navy's modernization project launched in 2016. The other two ships will be upgraded by next year.

Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers
The KDX-I ships are built by Daewoo Heavy Industries. The primary weapon deployed by Gwanggaeto the Great-class vessels is the Super Lynx helicopter, which acts in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. They also carry a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedoes, launched from triple torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar. A secondary anti-shipping role is supported by RGM-84 Harpoon surface-to-surface missile. For anti-aircraft self-defense, it carries 16 RIM-7P Sea Sparrow. This class of destroyers also carry two 30mm Goalkeeper to provide a shipboard point-defense against incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The main gun on the forecastle is an OTO Melara 127 gun.

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[Kartal1]

Hanwha Systems selected as preferred bidder for KDDX combat system and multi-function radar

by Dae Young Kim



Hanwha Systems was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder to provide the combat system and multifunction radar for South Korea’s KDDX destroyer programme, the company said in a press release.

The combat system, to be developed by Hanwha Systems and South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), will integrate the ship’s various sensors, weapons, communications, and command systems, with real-time tactical information-processing technology and multiple datalinks built in to optimise the ship’s combat capabilities.

The KDDX’s integrated mast (I-MST), which improves the stealth capability of the ship, will house a dual-band multifunction phased-array radar using the S-band for long-range anti-aircraft and ballistic missile detection and tracking, alongside the X-band for short-range anti-aircraft and sea-level target detection and tracking.

Infrared search and tracking (IRST) sensors, and identification friend-or-foe (IFF) devices will also be installed on the mast.

A scale model of Hanwha Systems’ I-MAST solution for the KDDX programme. The company was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder for the KDDX’s combat system and multifunction radar.

Hanwha Systems selected as preferred bidder for KDDX combat system and multi-function radar

Hanwha Systems was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder to provide the combat system and multifunction radar for South Korea’s KDDX destroyer...

www.janes.com

 

[Hexciter]

Hanwha Systems selected as preferred bidder for KDDX combat system and multi-function radar

by Dae Young Kim



Hanwha Systems was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder to provide the combat system and multifunction radar for South Korea’s KDDX destroyer programme, the company said in a press release.

The combat system, to be developed by Hanwha Systems and South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), will integrate the ship’s various sensors, weapons, communications, and command systems, with real-time tactical information-processing technology and multiple datalinks built in to optimise the ship’s combat capabilities.

The KDDX’s integrated mast (I-MST), which improves the stealth capability of the ship, will house a dual-band multifunction phased-array radar using the S-band for long-range anti-aircraft and ballistic missile detection and tracking, alongside the X-band for short-range anti-aircraft and sea-level target detection and tracking.

Infrared search and tracking (IRST) sensors, and identification friend-or-foe (IFF) devices will also be installed on the mast.


View attachment 1533
A scale model of Hanwha Systems’ I-MAST solution for the KDDX programme. The company was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder for the KDDX’s combat system and multifunction radar.

Hanwha Systems selected as preferred bidder for KDDX combat system and multi-function radar

Hanwha Systems was selected on 16 September as the final preferred bidder to provide the combat system and multifunction radar for South Korea’s KDDX destroyer...

www.janes.com

The mast design resembles something before but I couldn’t decide!

 

[Test7]

Aegis Weapon System

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) could award the project to build indigenous Aegis-equipped warships to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), even after allegations of classified information leak by some Navy officials to HHI.
Three Navy officers are suspected to have allowed Hyundai officials in 2014 to secretly film confidential documents related to Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) project. It was done to give the shipbuilder an advantage in winning the contract, local media had reported in September.

Citing the ongoing probe, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), which is also vying for the 21 billion-won ($17.6 million) project, filed for a court injunction against the project. In August, DAPA reviewed both companies’ basic design proposals and gave Hyundai higher scores, Yonhap reported Friday.
"The Seoul Central District Court dismissed Daewoo's application on Tuesday, saying it is unclear if Hyundai uses the information that it allegedly illegally acquired," a DAPA official told reporters.
The arms procurement agency will officially announce a preferred bidder early next month to sign a contract within this year.


Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) Project
The KDDX Project to build 6,000 ton-class warships was launched in 2018. Deadline to finish design and begin construction is set for 2023 and 2024 respectively. The project is to be completed by late 2020s.
DSME completed their conceptual design in 2019. In its baseline configuration, DSME’s KDDX has a length of 155 meters, a beam of 18 meters and a draft of 9.5 meters for a displacement of 8,000 tons. It features 48x VLS cells forward, 16x VLS cells aft, 16x anti-ship missiles and 2x K-DAGAIE NG decoy launchers.
HHI unveiled an entirely new design featuring an inverted bow in this year.

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[Test7]

South Korean shipbuilding major Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has officially begun building the first upgraded Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) Batch-II guided-missile destroyer for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).

HHI held a steel-cutting ceremony for the next-generation Aegis destroyer in Ulsan on 16 February 2021.

Photo: HHI

Back in 2019, the South Korean defense procurement agency (DAPA) awarded Hyundai Heavy a KRW 676.6 billion contract for the construction of the first of three next-generation destroyers.

HHI starts building 1st next-gen KDX-III destroyer for Korean Navy

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has officially begun building the first upgraded Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) destroyer for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).

www.navaltoday.com

 

[Windchime]

The KDX program, also called the Gwanggaeto program is Korean Navy's destroyer program. Until now there have been 4 ships built by the program, starting from KDX-I, followed by KDX-II, KDX-III and KDX-III batch-II.

KDX-I resulted in DDH-1 Gwanggaeto-class destroyers. DDH-I was the first ship of the Korean Navy that was named the DDH. DDH was intended to replace the aging DDs which were FRAM destroyers purchased from the USN inventory, built during the second WW and was modernized with FRAM program. It was small in size with 3200t base displacement, which was rather small to be called a destroyer compared to other destroyers of the era. It was rather similar to the original destroyers of the WWII in that sense. Unlike the following KDX ships, DDH-I is part of the Korean Navy green water fleet.

KDX-II resulted in DDH-II, which was a major breakthrough in Korean naval shipbuilding program, as in it was the first modern surface combatant, most importantly a ship that could use SM-2, built by Korea. It had some critical shortcomings, as it was built while Korea was still struggling from the aftermaths of Asian Financial Crisis, but still is an important ship nonetheless.

KDX-III was another major breakthrough, which resulted in DDG-I. As you could see, this ship was the first ship of the Korean Navy that was classified as guided missile destroyer. This was due to the fact that DDG-I was fully equipped with Aegis combat system from Lockheed Martin. This ship was designed based on the USN Arleigh-Burgh Aegis guided missile destroyers and were equipped with AN/SPY-1D(V) PESA. It was the first air defense ship of the Korean Navy and it is safe to say that the operational capabilities of Korean Navy surface combatant could be divided into two periods, one being before and one after DDG. KDX-III is the newer, improved Aegis DDG equipped with latest Aegis combat system and major improvements to other combat equipment, the most important being its sonar system.

Currently, Korea is funding KDDX next generation destroyer program, a multi-purpose, fleet air-defense and BMD capable destroyer. KDDX will then followed by a replacement destroyer that will replace the DDH-II. Since the DDH-I is a green water fleet combatant, it will be replaced with FFX not a new DDX.

Apart from DDH-I, KDX ships are part of the Maritime Task Flotilla Seven, the main, blue water TF of Korean Navy. In the future, the Korean Navy plans to split the MTF Seven, add newer KDX ships and operate two separate TFs.

 

[Chocopie]

Older Naval News article from mid-2022 about Jeongjo the Great-class destroyer:


KDX-III Batch-II launching ceremony.

HHI Launches South Korea’s First KDX III Batch II Destroyer​

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) today launched the lead ship of the KDX-III Batch-II AEGIS destroyer project for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy: ROKS Jeongjo the Great.​

Xavier Vavasseur 28 Jul 2022

According to the ROK Navy and Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the launching ceremony of the first ship of the ‘KDX-Ⅲ Batch-II’ project, the ‘Jeongjo the Great’, was held at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan on the morning of the 28th.

“The King Jeongjo, which was independently designed and built in Korea, was launched on the same day after signing a construction contract in 2019 and following a groundbreaking ceremony last year. The vessel is named after a historical figure revered by the people or a national defender who greatly contributed to overcoming the national crisis. The 22nd king of Joseon, Jeongjo (reigned 1776–1800), ascended to the throne at the age of 23 after the death of his grandfather Yeongjo (reigned 1724–1776), the 21st king, and reigned for 24 years. He is evaluated to have led the revival of the late Joseon Dynasty, including the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. When Jeongjo the Great is commissioned, it will be the 4th Aegis destroyer and the first 8200-ton class destroyer of the ROK Navy following the existing 7600-ton class ‘Sejong the Great’, ‘Yulgok Yii’ and ‘Seoaeryu Seongyong'”.

About ROK Navy’s KDX III Batch II Destroyer​

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced on October 10 2019 it has signed a US$565 million contract with the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for the first of three Gwanggaeto-III Batch II (KDX-III Batch II) destroyers for the ROK Navy.

Under the deal, HHI will deliver the first of three Aegis destroyers by November 2024. In May 2019, South Korea approved plans to construct the second batch of three destroyers with a budget of around US$3.3 billion.

The KDX-III Batch II program calls for the construction of three Aegis destroyers, one to be delivered every two years. They will receive pennant numbers 995, 996 and 997. The three existing 7,600-ton KDX-III Batch I Aegis destroyers of the ROK Navy are based on the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class of the US Navy. The keel of ROKS Jeongjo The Great, the first of the KDX-III Batch II boats, was laid by HHI on 5 October 2021.

KDX III Batch II weapon systems​

Artist impression of the future KDX III Batch II destroyer. HHI image.
Based on the existing Sejong the Great-class the new AEGIS destroyers will feature several improvements including improved combat systems that can detect and track targets at greater distances and anti-ballistic missile capability with Raytheon’s SM-3 Block IB interceptors.

The KDX-III Batch II will be fitted with SM-2 Block IIIB as well and, possibly, the new SM-6 “multi-mission missile” capable of long-range Fleet Air Defense, Sea-Based Terminal defense, and Anti-Surface Warfare. The decision to procure SM-6 has not been made yet and will depend on budget.

According to our South Korean sources, the KDX III Batch II ships will feature a total of 88 vertical launch system (VLS) cells:

• 48x Mk41 VLS for US-made missiles
• 16x K-VLS
• 24x K-VLS II

K-VLS will be used to deploy K-SAAM (Korean Surface to Air Anti Missile), replacing the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM). It features inertial mid-course guidance and a dual microwave and infrared homing seeker for terminal guidance. K-VLS will also deploy Hong Sang Eo (Red Shark) rocket-based torpedo (K-ASROC) and Haeryong Tactical Surface Launch Missile (TSLM) land attack cruise missile.

K-VLS II are larger cells currently being developed by Hanwha to launch the future long-range surface-to-air missile (150 Km range) Cheongung 3 (also known as L SAM). Naval News learned from a source at LIG Nex1, that the naval L SAM (which is still in conceptual phase) will only have minor modifications compared to the land-based variant. L SAM is intended to replace SM-2 in the ROK Navy. K-VLS II will also likely be used to launch the new supersonic anti-ship missile.

Compared to the Batch I, which sports 16 SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star) anti ship missiles, the Batch II ships will “only” have 8 of them.

While early renderings of KDX III Batch II ships showed them fitted with a RAM missile launcher, the destroyers will actually get the Phalanx CIWS as their last line of defense, alongside soft kill decoys (Rheinmetall MASS decoy launchers).

KDX III Batch II sensors and CMS​

Lockheed Martin is in charge of delivering the AN/SPY-1D(V) multi-function radar as well as the AEGIS combat system for the KDX III Batch II ship. Talking to Naval News during MADEX 2019, Lockheed Martin representatives explained that the destroyers would get the Aegis Baseline 9.C2 derivative with software variant “KII” and BMD baseline 5, which allows the use of SM-3 Block IB. As of October 2019, the radar arrays for the first KDX III Batch II were already in production. The radar arrays and combat system will be tested in New Jersey in 2021 before delivery to South Korea.

Talking to Naval News at MADEX 2019, the KDX III program manager at HHI said the 1st steel cutting is set to take place in 2021 and delivery of the first in class ship is expected for 2024. HHI also provided us with the following details:

KDX III Batch II Characteristics:​

• Light displacement: 8,300 tons
• Full load displacement: > 10,000 tons
• Length: 170 meters
• Breadth: 21 meters
• Speed: 30 knots
• Crew: 300 sailors

Source: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...outh-koreas-first-kdx-iii-batch-ii-destroyer/

 

[Chocopie]

What Naval News forgot:
Jeongjo the Great-class BMD-capable DDG would be able to launch ballistic missiles itsself from KVLS-II.

 

[Chocopie]

HHI Completes Basic Design Of The Korean Next Gen Destroyer KDDX​

On December 27, 2023, South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the completion of the basic design for Korea’s next-generation destroyer KDDX.

Eunhyuk Cha 19 Jan 2024

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) recently held a ceremony to mark the completion of the basic design for the KDDX at its Ulsan headquarters. The basic design contract for the KDDX was awarded to HHI by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in 2020, which took 3 years to complete. The KDDX, a cutting-edge naval vessel of the Republic of Korea’s Navy, features indigenous detection and combat systems.

According to HD HHI, its capabilities are on par with the ROK Navy’s most advanced destroyer equipped with the Aegis Combat System, the ‘King Jeong-jo the Great’ (KDX-III Batch-II). Launched in 2022, the ‘King Jeong-jo the Great’ is currently undergoing trials and is expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Marking a significant milestone, the KDDX is the first destroyer built entirely using domestic technology. This encompasses everything from its hull structure to the combat system, including state-of-the-art multi-function radars and a range of armaments. Its construction represents the pinnacle of the Republic of Korea’s naval combat vessel technology.

KDDX scale model on HHI stand at MADEX 2023.

During MADEX 2023 HHI showcased a mock design of the KDDX stating system integration and technological advancement as the main keywords of the design. As the first warship to utilize a full electric propulsion system powered by two gas turbine generators and three diesel generators, it is equipped with a 25MW extra-large propulsion electric motor. The powerful propulsion system along with an abundant number of generators is to allow the KDDX to sufficiently utilize the surplus energies across the various systems of the ship as well as leave possibilities to accommodate future directed-energy weapon systems such as lasers.

The KDDX is equipped with Hanwha Systems’ integrated mast (I-MAST), which features a “Dual-Band Multi-Function Radar.” This radar system consists of two radars operating simultaneously. The S-band radar is utilized for long-range air defense targets and ballistic missile detection and tracking, while the X-band radar is employed for short-range air defense targets and surface target detection and tracking. With the inclusion of the I-MAST and electric propulsion system, the KDDX aims to achieve reduced RCS (Radar Cross Section) and decreased underwater radiated noise, thereby enhancing its survivability against enemy submarines and radar detection.

In terms of weapon systems, the KDDX will be equipped with a Mk 45 5-inch main gun, two CIWS-II systems, eight anti-ship missiles (potentially the C-Star by LIG NEX 1), as well as KVLS-I and KVLS-II to accommodate the new naval version of the L-SAM (함대공유도탄-II). L-SAM will provide greater air defense and cruise missile interception capabilities to the fleet. For anti-submarine warfare, KDDX incorporated an integrated sonar system composed of Hull-Mounted Sonar (HMS) at the vessel’s bow and Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA), and a Low-Frequency Projector Array (LFPA) at the rear.

The recent update to the KDDX’s basic design, as reported by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), includes the implementation of a ‘manpower-reduction platform.’ This development responds to the Republic of Korea’s growing concerns over a shortage of military service-age population. To address this, advanced automation technologies have been incorporated. These include automated ammunition handling systems, a smart bridge, and a state-of-the-art navigational assistance system based on autonomous navigation technology.

Furthermore, HD HHI’s efforts to automate parts of the vessel continue, as evidenced by the completion of the concept design for the ROK Navy’s future Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) last year which will greatly reduce the number of crews required through AI. Park Yong-Yeol, Senior Managing Director of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Naval & Special Ships Business Division, said, “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been dedicatedly working, based on over 50 years of experience in leading the development of naval ships for the Navy and a strong sense of mission to complete the development of Korean-type naval vessels.” He added, “Based on this basic design, the KDDX will become the flagship of the K-ship, writing a new chapter in the history of the Republic of Korea’s naval shipbuilding industry.”

The total cost of the program is estimated at 5.8 billion USD, with plans for the acquisition of six vessels by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy by 2036. These vessels are intended to reinforce the Maritime Task Flotilla Seven, which serves as the main fleet of the ROK Navy. This year, the KDDX is scheduled to undergo detailed design, followed by the signing of the lead ship construction contract.

HHI completes basic design of the Korean Next Gen Destroyer KDDX - Naval News

On December 27, 2023, South Korea’s HD HHI announced its completion of the basic design for Korea’s next-generation destroyer KDDX.

www.navalnews.com

 

[urban mine]

New 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer set for delivery to Navy next week | Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- The Navy will receive a new 8,200-ton destroyer armed with an a...

en.yna.co.kr

New 8,200-ton Jeongjo the Great Aegis destroyer delivered to Navy

View attachment tnqudemf.jpg
(from HD Hyundai Image Library)
A new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer armed with an advanced missile interception platform was delivered to the Navy on Wednesday, the state arms procurement agency said, in a move to bolster the Navy's air defense capabilities against North Korean missiles.

The Jeongjo the Great destroyer, named after a visionary king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), was delivered to the Navy in a ceremony held at a HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The 170-meter-long, 21-meter-wide destroyer is equipped with radar-evading functions and the newest Aegis combat system capable of not only detecting and tracking ballistic missiles but also intercepting them.

The warship is expected to be fitted with the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) ship-based surface-to-air missile system that is capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles at altitudes above 100 kilometers.

In April, the state arms procurement agency said its weapons program review committee approved a plan to acquire the SM-3s through government-to-government foreign military sales.

The destroyer is also equipped with an integrated sonar system developed with homegrown technology that enables enhanced detection of North Korean submarines and torpedoes, and is capable of carrying the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, according to DAPA.

"Equipped with the latest Aegis combat system, homegrown integrated sonar system and vertical launching system, the Jeongjo the Great destroyer is anticipated to play a role in defending national security," Shin Hyun-seung, director-general of DAPA's Naval Ship Program Dept., said in a release.

The Jeongjo the Great destroyer is the first of three 8,200-ton Aegis destroyers that Seoul aims to acquire under the Gwanggaeto-III Batch-II project. It is South Korea's fourth Aegis destroyer after the ROKS King Sejong the Great, the ROKS Yulgok Yi I and the ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong. (Yonhap)
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I saw the video taken by the person who attended the event. It was a broadcast in which the captain thanked the staff of HD HHI, DAPA, and DTaQ for their hard work as the ship departed. The contents of the speech are as follows.

~ It has been a great honor for me to watch the construction of the Jeongjo the Great over the past two years. Your sweat and passion in the heat and freezing cold have made the Jeongjo the Great ready to defend the waters of Korea.The Jeongjo the Great and the 90 other warships you have built are the heart and soul of the ROK Navy's combat power. On behalf of the Navy, I would like to once again bow my head and thank you for being true patriots.
Today, the Jeongjo the Great leaves your arms and goes to the Navy. We will forever remember the dedication and passion you have shown, and we will repay you with the most powerful force to protect our nation's oceans. We wish you health and happiness from HD HHI, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality , and all related organizations. Farewell.

 

[urban mine]

The KVLS-II 4-cell on the KDX-III Batch II was shown in the official video of HD HHI. The KVLS-II is a larger VLS than the KVLS-I, which is about the same size as the MK.41, and the ROK Armed Forces felt the need to develop a larger platform because they believe that the future battlefield will require larger projectiles.

The KVLS-II on board the KDX-III Batch II will contain ballistic missiles.

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For a size comparison between KVLS I and KVLS II, see this blog. The VLS on the far left is a shortened form of KVLS I.