Three Warships Built and Delivered by Hanwha Ocean Showcase ROK Navy's Capabilities
KDX-III Yulgok Yi I Takes Deputy Commander Role at Combined Forces Command
The world is paying close attention as three renowned warships built by Hanwha Ocean are being deployed simultaneously for a joint maritime exercise of Pacific nations.
On the 2nd, Hanwha Ocean announced that the "Three Masterpiece Warships," delivered to the Navy, will participate as the main vessels of the Republic of Korea Navy in the 2024 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
This joint exercise serves as both a "festival of friendship" among navies worldwide and a "battlefield" where they compete for maritime supremacy, prompting each participating nation to showcase its strongest forces. Hanwha Ocean expressed its strong determination to once again prove the excellence of K-warships.
Yulgok Yi I is our navy's second Aegis destroyer. Commissioned in 2010, Yulgok Yi I is equipped with the Aegis combat system, capable of simultaneously detecting and tracking around 1,000 air and sea targets, and attacking about 20 of them at the same time. At the time of construction, Yulgok Yi I received high praise as "the same design but a different Aegis ship." The KDX-III, which mounts the Aegis combat system developed by the American company Lockheed Martin on surface ships, varies in quality depending on the technical capabilities of the shipbuilding company responsible for construction. Hanwha Ocean applied a new construction method called "Blue Sky Roadout," which installs the Aegis system at the block stage without damaging the hull, unlike the conventional method of drilling holes in the hull. This shortened the construction period and made it recognized as the quietest ship in its class.
The Republic of Korea Navy's RIMPAC Task Group, participating in the exercise held around Hawaii, USA, from June 27 to August 2, includes the KDX-III Aegis destroyer "Yulgok Yi I," the KDX-II destroyer "Chungmugong Yi Sunshin," and the 1,800-ton Jangbogo-II class submarine "Lee Beomseok." All three vessels were built and delivered by Hanwha Ocean.
During this RIMPAC exercise, these warships will conduct a variety of drills, including anti-air warfare such as launching the SM-2 fleet air defense missile, as well as anti-surface, anti-submarine, and free-for-all engagements. This year's RIMPAC is expected to include 40 surface ships, 3 submarines, about 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel from 29 countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
RIMPAC is a multinational joint exercise hosted by the United States Navy to enhance the protection of maritime routes among Pacific Rim countries, strengthen joint responses to threats, and improve interoperability in combined operations. It began in 1971 and is held every two years, making this the 29th exercise. Korea first observed the exercise as an "observer" in 1988 and has participated 18 times since its first official involvement in 1990.
Chungmugong Yi Sunshin-class destroyer. As the first ship of the KDX-II class, it was the first in the Republic of Korea Navy to apply stealth design (reduction of radar cross-section). Notably, the KDX-II was constructed by Hanwha Ocean, which did not perform the basic design phase but carried out the detailed design and built the destroyer. This broke the preconceived notion in the design process that the company responsible for the basic design must also conduct the detailed design and construct the lead ship.
The Republic of Korea Navy has showcased outstanding capabilities in previous RIMPAC exercises, earning praise as the "world's top navy." In the 2018 exercise, the Yulgok Yi I, built by Hanwha Ocean, served as the maritime battle group commander, leading 10 ships from eight countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Chile, India, and Indonesia, and contributed to the successful completion of carrier strike group missions. It also successfully carried out anti-surface and anti-submarine operations. This year, the Navy will, for the first time, serve as the deputy commander of the Combined Task Force, commanding all maritime forces, in recognition of these leadership capabilities.
Hanwha Ocean expects that the outstanding performance of the "Three Masterpiece Warships" participating in this year's RIMPAC will greatly contribute to its warship export business as well as the advancement of its U.S. warship MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) business.
A Hanwha Ocean official stated, "The performance of the Yulgok Yi I, Chungmugong Yi Sunshin, and Lee Beomseok, which are participating as main forces in this RIMPAC, will serve as an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of both the Republic of Korea Navy and Hanwha Ocean, the 'master shipbuilder.' We are also putting our utmost effort into the success of the Korean next-generation destroyer (KDDX) project, which will dramatically enhance the capabilities of the Republic of Korea Navy."
Jangbogo-II Lee Beomseok. The fifth submarine built under the Jangbogo-II class second phase lead ship project. It performs missions such as anti-submarine warfare and offensive mine laying, and is equipped with the Haeseong-3 submarine-launched cruise missile with a range of 1000 km, capable of long-range precision strikes on enemy key facilities.
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