South Korea to build third KDX-III Batch II Jeongjo the Great-class AEGIS destroyer
A CGI of a KDX-III Batch II destroyer. Photo c/o Naval News. |
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) has awarded a contract to build the third KDX-III Batch II Jeongjo the Great-class guided missile destroyer to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
The contract, worth KRW670 billion (US$515 million) was signed between DAPA and HHI on 13 December 2022, with HHI becoming the only shipbuilder to build all three ships of the class.
Prior to the awarding the HHI, observers predicted that the contract would be signed with the South Korean naval shipbuilder as it was the only competing company when the project was being offered.
So far, HHI has launched the first ship of the class, the ROKS Jeongjo the Great last July 2022, and is still pending commissioning with the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).
A second ship of the class is still under construction by HHI and is expected to be launched by 2024.
Once in service, the Jeongjo the Great-class will be the ROKN’s largest and most capable surface combatant, and will bring the total number of AEGIS-equipped ships in the service to six, together with the three KDX-III Batch I Sejong the Great-class destroyers.
[1] Naval News
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