Performance-Enhanced Gwanggaeto the Great-Class Destroyer Delivered to Navy

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Navy has received the performance-upgraded Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX-I) 'Gwanggaeto the Great'. By replacing the combat system capable of submarine detection and battle command with a domestically produced one, maintenance time and costs are expected to be significantly reduced.

According to the military on the 22nd, the Gwanggaeto the Great, which initially had a combat system imported from overseas when the ship was first built, has been upgraded to the latest domestically produced weapon system with enhanced performance, greatly improving its battle command capabilities.

First, to enhance the response capability against submarines, the 'Towed Array Sonar System (TASS)' was also replaced with the latest version, significantly improving underwater target detection and tracking performance. TASS is a low-frequency passive acoustic detection system used on ships to detect, identify, and track enemy submarines.

The KDX-I class destroyer measures 135 meters in length and 14 meters in width, equipped with guided missiles, naval guns, torpedoes, and other armaments. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has been promoting a project since September 2016 to upgrade the outdated combat systems and sensors of three Korean destroyers serving as key command ships in the maritime fleet. Last September, the first ship, Yang Man-chun, was delivered to the Navy.

Following the Gwanggaeto the Great, the final ship, Eulji Mundeok, will be delivered in December, marking the completion of the project.