Delivery to Navy After Test and Evaluation
Operational Deployment to Follow
The launching ceremony for the Gyeongbuk, the second ship of the Ulsan-class Batch-III and a 3,600-ton frigate, has been held.
The Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that on the morning of June 20, the launching ceremony for the Gyeongbuk took place at SK Oceanplant in Goseong, Gyeongnam, with over 140 attendees including Navy Chief of Staff Yang Yongmo. The Gyeongbuk is the second vessel of the Ulsan-class Batch-III, which is intended to replace the aging frigates (FF) and patrol combat corvettes (PCC) currently operated by the Navy.
In accordance with naval tradition, the launching ceremony involved the guest of honor, Mrs. Choi Hyekyung, wife of Chief of Staff Yang, cutting the launching rope attached to the vessel. The Navy explained that this act symbolizes breathing life into the newly built ship, akin to cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn baby.
Yang stated, "The newly launched Gyeongbuk is a warship that embodies the Republic of Korea's outstanding shipbuilding and defense science technologies. Equipped with state-of-the-art combat systems, precision detection equipment, and powerful armaments?all developed by our own hands?it will flawlessly fulfill its mission of safeguarding our national interests and the lives of our people at sea. I expect that the Gyeongbuk, launched today, will serve as a mainstay of our fleet and proudly defend the seas of the Republic of Korea."
The Gyeongbuk, the Navy's second 3,600-ton frigate, measures 129 meters in length, 14.8 meters in width, and 38.9 meters in height. Its main armaments include a 5-inch naval gun, the Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS), anti-ship guided missile defense missiles, anti-ship guided missiles, tactical land-attack guided missiles, and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes.
The Gyeongbuk has fully localized its major systems, including the combat system?referred to as the ship's "brain"?as well as its main detection equipment and weaponry. In particular, the Gyeongbuk is equipped with a domestically developed multifunction phased array radar (MFR). This four-sided fixed multifunction phased array radar, similar to an Aegis radar, enables detection and tracking of both air and surface targets in all directions, and can simultaneously respond to multiple aerial threats.
Additionally, the Gyeongbuk's mast features an integrated sensor mast (ISM) system that incorporates advanced scientific technologies. The integrated sensor mast houses the four-sided fixed multifunction phased array radar and infrared search and track equipment, and is designed with stealth features. The propulsion system of the Gyeongbuk uses the same hybrid propulsion method as the Batch-II (Daegu-class), minimizing underwater radiated noise. It is also equipped with a hull-mounted sonar (HMS) and a towed array sonar system (TASS), both developed with domestic technology, providing superior anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Bang Geukcheol, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Force Support Program Division, stated, "The Gyeongbuk is a state-of-the-art frigate equipped with a multifunction phased array radar based on advanced domestic scientific technology. Successfully building a warship at a new shipyard has expanded both the technological capabilities of the shipbuilding industry and the foundation of the defense industry."
Meanwhile, the Gyeongbuk will undergo a test and evaluation period before being delivered to the Navy in June next year, after which it will be operationally deployed following the force integration process.
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