S. Korea To Launch New Frigate With Enhanced Air, Anti-sub Capabilities

SEOUL, April 29 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea was set to hold a launch ceremony on Wednesday for a new homegrown 3,600-tonne frigate with enhanced anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy and the state arms procurement agency said, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The ceremony for the ROKS Jeju, named after the country's southern resort island, will take place at a shipyard run by SK Oceanplant Co. in Goseong County, about 350 kilometres south of Seoul, the Navy and the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a joint release.

The 129-metre-long vessel is the fourth ship built as part of South Korea's Ulsan-class Batch-III frigate acquisition programme aimed at replacing ageing frigates and patrol combat corvettes.

It is equipped with a 5-inch gun, a vertical launch system, anti-ship missile interceptors, ship-to-ship guided missiles, tactical ship-to-ground guided missiles and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes.

It is also fitted with a homegrown “multifunctional phased array radar” system capable of detecting and tracking multiple targets and engaging them at the same time.

The vessel is expected to serve as a key combat ship operating in regional waters, with its advanced anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy and DAPA said.

Following a trial period, the frigate will be delivered to the Navy in June 2027 before entering service.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP