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Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for the new logistics support ship (AOE-II), which supplies ammunition, fuel, and other necessities to warships at sea.
Hanwha Ocean (CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Hyukwoong) announced on the 26th that it had won the bid for the “AOE-II Second Ship Construction Project,” commissioned by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, through a sole bid on the 25th. The project is valued at approximately 460.1 billion KRW.
After technical and conditional negotiations, the contract is scheduled to be signed in August, with construction and sea trials to follow. The ship will be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy in December 2028.
The AOE-II logistics support ship is a 10,000-ton class vessel, approximately 190 meters long and 25 meters wide, with a crew of about 140. It can carry over 10,000 tons of supplies, including fuel, ammunition, and provisions, which is more than 2.3 times the capacity of the previous Cheonji-class AOE-I logistics support ship.
Perspective rendering of the second AOE-II combat support ship for which Hanwha Ocean was selected as the preferred bidder through a sole bid.
The AOE-II supplies ammunition, cargo, and fuel to ships at sea while underway. It can supply vessels such as destroyers and frigates while moving at high speeds during operations. Much like an aerial refueling tanker extends the operational range of fighter jets, the logistics support ship significantly expands the operational duration and range of combat ships.
The logistics support ship to be built by Hanwha Ocean will incorporate improvements requested during the operation of the lead ship delivered to the Navy in 2018, and will feature enhanced performance in terms of speed and cargo capacity compared to the previous Cheonji-class (AOE-I). This will improve the operational sustainability of our Navy’s mobile task force and contribute to strengthening maritime sovereignty.
A Hanwha Ocean representative stated, “Although the logistics support ship is technically challenging and difficult to build?leading other shipyards to avoid it?Hanwha Ocean, as the leading maritime defense company in Korea, participated in the bid with a sense of responsibility for national defense and the safety of our people.”
Hanwha Ocean has demonstrated the capabilities of Korean naval vessels in the defense industry by exporting four logistics support ships first introduced overseas by the British Navy in 2015, and one Norwegian logistics support ship with hospital ship functions.
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