KDDX Lead-Ship Contractor to Be Decided in July

KDDX Lead-Ship Construction Basic Plan Clears Defense Acquisition Committee

The builder for the lead ship of the Korean next-generation destroyer (KDDX) program will be finalized in July. This comes just two months after the decision to select the lead-ship contractor through a competitive bidding process, following an almost two-year delay. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) plans to select the contractor by July.

KDDX, the Korean next-generation destroyer designed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries - Yonhap News

On the 23rd, the government held the 173rd Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting and approved the "Basic Plan for KDDX Detailed Design and Lead-Ship Construction (draft)," which includes the decision to proceed with a competitive bidding method.

The KDDX program is the first domestic destroyer project in which both the hull and the Aegis-type combat system are to be built using entirely indigenous technology. With a total budget of 7 trillion 43.9 billion won, six 6,000-ton-class mini Aegis destroyers will be constructed. Naval shipbuilding projects generally proceed in the order of conceptual design, basic design, detailed design and lead-ship construction, followed by construction of subsequent ships. In this program, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries were responsible for the conceptual design and the basic design, respectively.

Initially, after completion of the basic design in December 2023, the plan was to begin detailed design and lead-ship construction in 2024. However, due to overheated competition between the two companies, DAPA was unable to reach a conclusion, causing delays in the program. Then, in December last year, the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee decided to use competitive bidding to select the contractor for KDDX detailed design and lead-ship construction, and the basic plan reflecting this decision was approved on this day.

DAPA intends to select the contractor in July and conclude the contract between July and August. As the program has already been significantly delayed, DAPA is also reviewing options to accelerate the schedule, including early ordering of follow-on ships. The lead ship is planned to be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2032.

Meanwhile, the committee also approved on the same day the programs for the ballistic course-correction fuze and the F-35A upgrade. The ballistic course-correction fuze program aims to improve the accuracy of 155 mm extended-range ammunition by acquiring fuzes with guidance capability. The revised basic strategy for program execution and the basic plan for system development were approved. DAPA stated that this program is expected to enhance strike effectiveness against distant targets and reduce ammunition consumption.

Regarding the F-35A upgrade program, a revised basic strategy for program execution was approved to reflect updated operational requirements and the latest configuration under development. Through this, the performance of the F-35A fighter’s electronic warfare equipment will be improved, and its capabilities for tactical data processing and precision-guided munitions operation are expected to be enhanced, DAPA explained.