Unmanned or Manned Impossible... Is KDDX the Latest Warship? [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Insufficient Manned-Unmanned Integration and Excessive Crew Size
Criticism Raised: "Basic Design Based on 10-Year-Old Concepts Must Be Redone"

There are calls to redesign the Korean Destroyer (KDDX). The KDDX project is a large-scale national project that plans to invest 7.8 trillion won by 2030 to secure six 6,000-ton Aegis destroyers. The KDDX is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2031, but it is said that the future maritime operational environment was not reflected from the design stage.

According to military officials on the 6th, warship construction proceeds in the order of conceptual design, basic design, detailed design and construction of the lead ship (No. 1 ship), and construction of subsequent ships. The KDDX project started in 2011. The following year, Hanwha Ocean proceeded with the conceptual design and seemed to be on a smooth path. However, the project stopped in 2016. The military decided to build the Sejong the Great-class destroyer and the Jeongjo the Great-class destroyer (KDX-III Batch-II) first, citing the need to prepare for North Korea's asymmetric forces. The KDDX project was postponed as a mid- to long-term project. In 2017, the Defense Technology Quality Institute recalculated the project cost due to delays, and the feasibility study only began in 2019. The basic design, the next stage after conceptual design, was carried out after 2020. The project was delayed by 10 years compared to the original plan.

Project started in 2011 but delayed repeatedly

As the project was delayed, the basic design undertaken by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries reflected the 2016 operational capability (ROC) presented by the military. The method for the 'detailed design and lead ship (No. 1 ship) construction' and 'subsequent ship construction' projects is scheduled to be decided through the Defense Acquisition Program Administration subcommittee meeting this month and the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee in April, but it is criticized as unsuitable for the future maritime operational environment.

The Navy plans to apply the manned-unmanned combined combat system called 'Navy Sea GHOST' for maritime operations. As the 'aircraft carrier' and 'nuclear submarine' projects became difficult to proceed, the Navy shifted its focus to unmanned vessels for cost reasons. In 2023, the Navy showcased an amphibious operation at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) by deploying six manned vessels, three aircraft, three Kaiju Assault Amphibious Vehicles (KAAV), special forces teams, and 30 unmanned surface vehicles (USV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). In reality, despite losing most of its naval power early in the war, Ukraine used so-called 'sea drones' to sink the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet's Ivanovets patrol ship.

Design focused on localization rather than future operational environment

To realize Navy Sea GHOST, KDDX must be equipped with various devices. For the manned-unmanned combined combat system, technologies such as integrated antenna technology within the ship, unmanned combat system integration, and multi-console integration technology are required. However, these devices are not installed in the KDDX basic design. Meanwhile, overseas countries are promoting manned-unmanned combined combat systems. The UK is conducting pilot operations of the manned-unmanned combined combat system on the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth. T?rkiye, a military power in the Mediterranean and Middle East region, is building a new aircraft carrier modeled after the Spanish Navy's Juan Carlos I, known as a 'mini aircraft carrier,' planning to deploy about 50 various manned and unmanned carrier-based aircraft.

Professor Choi Bong-wan of the Department of Industrial Management Engineering at Hannam University emphasized, "The KDDX basic design focuses on localization such as combat systems and integrated masts, so reflecting the manned-unmanned combined combat system required by the Navy is essential to improve operational capability."

The crew size of the KDDX is also an issue. The KDDX has about 150 crew members. In last year's National Assembly audit report, the Navy stated, "To respond to the sharp decline in military service resources, by 2030, the Navy plans to apply an 'officer-only' or 'fully officer-only' operation method that reduces or eliminates the proportion of enlisted personnel on all naval vessels." Since 2022, the Navy has been operating pilot ships with 'officer-only' and 'fully officer-only' crews, aiming to reduce about 180 enlisted personnel. This concept differs from the KDDX basic design. The new French first-class frigate (FDI) has a crew of 110, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate (FFM) has 90, and Italy's multipurpose coastal patrol vessel (PPA) has only about 100 crew members. Although there are differences in ship size, there are criticisms that the KDDX has too many crew members.

Professor Choi Ki-il of the Department of Military Studies at Sangji University said, "The US Navy is also applying the concept of a ghost fleet considering manpower shortages and manned-unmanned combined combat systems," adding, "The KDDX redesign should be considered."

Export virtually impossible if KDDX is built as is

Some argue that the KDDX should be designed reflecting the operational environment for the sake of ship exports. Recently, the US Congress proposed a bill allowing the construction of US Navy ships overseas following maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). The Trump administration emphasized Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation and proposed allowing allied countries like Korea to build US Navy ships. If this bill passes, shipyards in NATO member countries or Indo-Pacific countries with mutual defense treaties with the US will be able to build naval vessels. The US Navy needs 355 ships to maintain readiness but currently operates only 291. To increase the number of ships, the US can build them domestically or upgrade old ships, but these methods are expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare options to have the entire shipbuilding process or parts of it done at trusted allied shipyards.