14.10.2009
Korean Navy plans 6 destroyers with Aegis components to be commissioned within 2019-2026 to enhance country's presence at coastal and sea regions. That was said on Tuesday by The Korea Times referring to Korean Navy spokesman.
Destroyers
KDX-IIA with displacement of 5 600 tonnes, equipped with
SPY phased array radars and armed with close combat systems will be the basis of strategic mobile fleet headed by state-of-the-art 7 600-tonnes
KDX-III destroyers.
Two mobile fleet squadrons will comprise destroyers
KDX-III,
KDX-II and
KDX-IIA, auxiliary vessels, new frigates and attack submarines. Fleet's home port will be naval base to be established at Cheju Island by 2014.
Two of three
KDX-III destroyers scheduled to be constructed have been already put afloat, third one to be commissioned as early as 2012.
Sejong-project lead ship
The Great started combat service in Dec 2008, third destroyer
Yi I will fall on combat training tasks accomplishment in 2009 upon termination of sea trials.
One of six Korean destroyers
KDX-II headed for Somali coast in March to take part in anti-piracy mission – first abroad mission of Korean Navy.
Destroyers will shift each other twice a year during this mission.
"Considering the necessity of distant cruises we need new destroyers", said Kim Jang-su, spokesman of South Korean ruling party. "If the price is the same, it is better to build three more
KDX-II class ships than one
KDX-III for $1 bln".
Aegis is one of the newest ship-based combat control systems including powerful phased array radars, SAM system and modern computers. By means of this system, American, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish and Korean ships may simultaneously detect, track and defeat hundreds of aerial, ground-based, and sea-surface targets.
KDX-III is one of the most advanced ships equipped with
Aegis system and capable to carry 128 SA missiles, SS missiles and antisubmarine missiles in vertical launchers.
Source: RusNavy.com
