[Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club] The 'K-Patrol Ship' Australia Has Its Eyes On

Announcement of Plan to Secure 11 Multipurpose Escort Ships This Year
Expressing Interest in Escort Ship Deployment (Batch)-III and Others

Australia is showing keen interest in the 'K-Frigate.' This year, it announced plans to acquire 11 multipurpose frigates, selecting South Korea's frigates as a key model.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 4th, Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik visited the Australian Fleet Command in Sydney on the 2nd and explained the excellence of Korean frigates. The Australian Fleet Command is the frontline base for exchanges and cooperation between the South Korean and Australian navies, with the ROK Navy's Marado ship having called at the port last July to participate in the 'Talisman Saber Exercise.' Minister Shin is reported to have actively explained the shipbuilding capabilities of Korean shipbuilding companies during the visit.

The frigates possessed by the ROK Navy are named after special/metropolitan cities, provinces, and provincial capitals, such as Ulsan, Incheon, and Daegu. Hanwha Ocean showcased a model of the Daegu ship at this year's Yi Sun-sin Defense Exhibition. The Daegu ship is considered the quietest vessel domestically. Last year, the Agency for Defense Development selected the Daegu ship as the quietest combat ship currently in the Republic of Korea Navy. The Daegu ship is the lead ship of South Korea's next-generation frigate project (FFX Batch-II) and is the first domestic surface combatant to apply a hybrid propulsion system combining a gas turbine and electric motor.

In November last year, Hanwha Ocean also signed a contract to build the 5th and 6th ships of the Ulsan-class frigate Batch-III. This project replaces the Navy's aging patrol ships and frigates and is the final phase of the 'Ulsan-class Batch-III' plan. The plan is to contribute to strengthening the Republic of Korea Navy's capabilities and autonomous defense by constructing follow-up ships superior to the lead ship. The Ulsan-class Batch-III frigates are 3,500 tons, 130 meters in length, capable of a maximum speed of 30 knots (55 km/h), equipped with anti-air and anti-submarine detection capabilities, and feature a hybrid propulsion system combining medium-low speed electric propulsion and high-speed gas turbine engines. Once full-scale construction begins, the 5th ship is scheduled to be delivered and commissioned by the Republic of Korea Navy in December 2027, and the 6th ship around June 2028.

Hanwha Ocean is the only company that has built the entire lineup of the advanced domestically produced destroyer projects KDX-I, II, and III, which introduced new combat concepts since 2000. The company plans to do its best to secure the detailed design and lead ship contract for the Korean next-generation destroyer KDDX, expected to be tendered this year.