Hanwha Ocean Signs Main Contract for Ulsan-class Smart Escort Ship 'Batch-IV'

A Total of 6 Ships... Project Scale Amounts to 839.1 Billion Won

Hanwha Ocean has signed the main contract for the construction project of the ‘Ulsan-class Batch-IV 1st and 2nd ships.’

According to Hanwha Ocean on the 19th, this construction project will continue until December 2030, with a scale reaching 839.1 billion KRW. Once these ships are built, they will replace the Ulsan-class frigates that the Navy has been using since the 1980s. A total of six ships will be constructed.

The Ulsan-class Batch-IV ships are the successors to the Ulsan-class Batch-III 5th and 6th ships. Although there are no changes in displacement or external appearance, the Ulsan-class Batch-IV is regarded as a ‘smart frigate’ and is considered a full-change model completely different from previous frigates.

The Ulsan-class Batch-IV will integrate combat systems and four types of armaments as performance upgrade equipment, along with new equipment such as the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS)-II and Electronic Warfare Equipment-II. Additionally, the ship design considers crew reduction in future operational environments with decreasing personnel resources, and plans to improve the convenience of operation and living conditions for the crew. Furthermore, it will be equipped with a cybersecurity control system to counter enemy cyber threats and advanced capabilities to respond to unmanned aerial vehicle threats.

Hanwha Ocean plans to contribute to strengthening naval power and autonomous defense capabilities by successfully delivering the Batch-IV 1st and 2nd ships following the Batch-III 5th and 6th ships of the Ulsan-class.

Hanwha Ocean is the only company that has constructed the entire lineup of the advanced domestically produced destroyer construction projects KDX-I, II, and III, which introduced new combat concepts after 2000, and has delivered the most destroyers currently operated by the Republic of Korea Navy.

Jo Yong-jun, Team Leader of the Domestic Sales Team for Special Ships at Hanwha Ocean, said, “While maintaining the technical continuity of the Ulsan-class Batch-III 5th and 6th ships, we will create a frigate never seen before based on the most advanced smart ship solutions.”