[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The fifth new frigate, equipped with tactical surface-to-surface guided missiles and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes, enhancing its ground strike and underwater attack capabilities, reveals its grandeur.
The Navy announced on the afternoon of the 3rd that it will hold the launching ceremony of the new frigate No. 5, the 'Daejeonham,' at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Okpo Shipyard in Geoje, Gyeongnam. The cutting of the launching rope ceremony symbolizes breathing life into the newly built ship, just like cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. According to naval customs, Mrs. Baek Mi-ja, the wife of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the main guest, will cut the launching rope connected to the ship.
The name Daejeonham has been used before. The former Daejeonham (DD-919) was built in the United States in 1945, delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy in 1977, led the protection of territorial waters, and was decommissioned in March 2000. Through this launching ceremony, it is being revived after 21 years.
The newly born Daejeonham is a new frigate (FFX Batch-II) constructed to replace the 1500-ton class frigates (FF) and 1000-ton class patrol combat corvettes (PCC) currently operated by the Navy. After undergoing sea trial evaluations, it will be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2022, complete a certain period of operationalization, and then be deployed in active service.
With a length of 122m, a width of 14m, a height of 35m, and a displacement of about 2800 tons, the Daejeonham is armed with a 5-inch naval gun, anti-ship guided missiles, tactical surface-to-surface guided missiles, and a close-in weapon system.
The tactical surface-to-surface guided missile, with a range of about 250 km, is a weapon used to strike ground targets from the ship in case of emergency. It is equipped with an anti-submarine torpedo (Hong-sang-eo) to enhance detection and attack capabilities against enemy submarines. Unlike conventional torpedoes launched underwater, it is rocket-propelled, launched into the air, then enters the sea to strike submarines. Its range reaches about 20 km.
It can operate one maritime operation helicopter, and its engine uses a 'hybrid' propulsion system combining a gas turbine and propulsion motor to reduce underwater radiated noise. It is also equipped with a towed array sonar system (TASS). This equipment is a low-frequency passive sonar system used to detect, identify, and track enemy submarines from the ship by hanging and towing a long cable from the stern of the ship.
The Navy named the new frigate No. 5 as Daejeonham according to the naming principle of using names of special/metropolitan cities, provincial capitals, and small to medium-sized cities at the city level for frigates.
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