[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The launching ceremony of the 8th new frigate (FFX Batch-II), the 'Chuncheonham,' will be held on the 22nd at Ulsan Hyundai Heavy Industries.
According to Hyundai Heavy Industries on the day, the 2800-ton class frigate Chuncheonham measures 122 meters in length, 14 meters in width, and 35 meters in height. It is equipped with a 5-inch naval gun, anti-ship missiles, tactical surface-to-surface missiles, and a close-in weapon system (Phalanx), and can operate one maritime operational helicopter. Chuncheonham will replace the Navy's currently operated 1500-ton class frigates and 1000-ton class patrol vessels.
The engine uses a hybrid propulsion system combining gas turbines and propulsion electric motors to reduce underwater radiated noise. It is equipped with a hull-mounted sonar (HMS), towed array sonar system (TASS), and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes (Hong Sang-eo) to enhance anti-submarine capabilities.
The Navy named the 8th new frigate 'Chuncheonham' following the principle of using names of metropolitan and small to medium-sized cities at the city level for frigates. The name 'Chuncheon' was previously used for a landing craft (LCI-103) acquired from the United States in 1946. The Chuncheon vessel carried out various missions, including supporting training for the Korean Coast Guard at the time, and was decommissioned in July 1956.
The launched Chuncheonham will be delivered to the Navy by the end of next year after sea trials and evaluations, and will be deployed in active service following the process of operational integration.
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