South Korea Launches Eighth Daegu Class Frigate, Equipped With Cruise Missiles To Long Range Torpedoes

JAKARTA - The South Korean Navy launched a new 2,800 tonne frigate with enhanced anti-submarine capabilities. Named Republic of Korea Navy Ship (ROKS) Pohang (FFG-825), this is the sixth ship of the Daegu Class or generation FFX Batch II.

The frigate will replace the 1,500-ton ship and the 1,000-ton patrol combat corvette. The launch of the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) production ship on September 8 was attended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean military, General Won In-choul.

With about 120 crew members on board, the 122-meter frigate will carry a variety of weapons, including ship-to-ship and ship-to-surface missiles as well as helicopters for naval operations.

The new frigate has also increased the ability to detect and attack submarines with a towed array sonar system and long-range anti-submarine torpedo, according to the military.

"To protect maritime sovereignty and national interests, we need a strong Navy," General Won quoted the Korea Times as saying on September 9.

In total there will be eight ships in this class, Navalnews reported on September 8th. The first ship in this class is ROKS Daegu, built by DSME and launched in June 2016 and commissioned with the ROK Navy on March 6, 2018. The second ship of the class, ROKS Gyeongnam built by DSME was launched in June 2019 and commissioned in January this year.

The third and fourth frigates ROKS Seoul and ROKS Donghae were built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and launched in November 2019 and April 2020. The fifth ship in its class, ROKS Daejeon was launched in May 2021 by DSME.

The seventh and eighth ships are planned to be rebuilt by HHI, with the seventh ship being planned to carry the name ROKS Cheonan and hull number FFG-826. While the eighth ship with hull number FFG-827 has not yet been proposed.

"Pohang has improved detection and attack capabilities for surface and submarine targets, and based on its enhanced anti-submarine capabilities, Pohang will play an active role as the main warship of the maritime fleet in the future," said Jeong Yeong-soon, head of the ship's power division. war at the South Korean Naval Headquarters.

The frigate Pohang is equipped with a 16-cell Korean vertical launch system (K-VLS) to deploy K-SAAM (Korean Surface to Air Anti Missile), Hong Sang Eo (Red Shark) anti-submarine missiles, and Haeryong (SSM-701K Sea). Dragon) tactical ground attack cruise missile.

It is also equipped with a torpedo launcher for anti-submarine warfare and eight Haeseong SSM-700K anti-ship missiles. All these missile systems are designed and manufactured by the local company LIG Nex1. The weapon system consists of the Mk 45 mod. 4 naval weapon system (main gun) and the Phalanx Block 1B CIWS.

Powered by four MTU 12V 4000 M53B diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine in a Combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLAG) arrangement, the frigate features a hybrid propulsion system to reduce the noise emitted underwater. Ships of this class are capable of reaching speeds of 30 knots, according to DAPA.

According to the ROK Navy, the new frigate has advanced sonar and power systems to enhance anti-submarine capabilities in coastal operations. The SQR-250K TASS low-frequency passive sonar system is used to detect, identify and track enemy submarines. Its hybrid propulsion system reduces underwater radiation noise, which greatly improves anti-submarine capabilities.

The plan, this new frigate will enter service in the Navy in early 2023, after undergoing a series of trials.