HD Hyundai Heavy launches large-sized frigate capable of detecting targets in all directions

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : April 10, 2023, 16:14 Updated : February 6, 2024, 02:40

[Courtesy of HD Hyundai]

SEOUL -- South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries launched a new 3,600-ton frigate armed with a multifunction phased array radar capable of detecting and responding to targets in all directions. Through the adoption of the ship called "ROKS Chungnam," South Korea's Navy can upgrade its defense capability from various types of threats such as aircraft and submarines.
 
ROKS Chungnam is the first frigate developed as a state project to build a total of six frigates weighing 3,600 tons each. The 129-meter-long ship can operate at a maximum speed of 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour. It is also equipped with a five-inch naval gun, tactical ship-to-ground guided missiles, and guided missiles against enemy ships.
 
Thanks to the frigate's electric propulsion system, sailors can easily avoid the threat of submarines' detection as it doesn't generate much noise during its operation. However, the ship can quickly move in case of emergency through a gas turbine propulsion method. 
 
HD Hyundai Heavy said in a statement that a launch ceremony for ROKS Chungnam was held in South Korea's southern port city of Ulsan on April 10. The frigate will be adopted by the South Korean Navy at the end of 2024 after a test run.
 
"We will continue to contribute to enhancing the strength of South Korea's Navy by building high-quality, advanced ships in cooperation with related agencies such as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Navy," HD Hyundai Heavy's special ship business bureau head Joo Won-ho said in a statement.