Navy receives 1st 3,600-ton frigate with enhanced anti-sub capabilities

▲ This April 10, 2023, file photo shows the launching ceremony for the 3,600-ton ROKS Chungnam frigate held at a HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)

new frigate-delivery

Navy receives 1st 3,600-ton frigate with enhanced anti-sub capabilities

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- The Navy on Wednesday received its first 3,600-ton frigate with enhanced anti-submarine and anti-air capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said.

A ceremony to mark the delivery of the ROKS Chungnam, named after a central province, took place at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The 129-meter-long vessel is the first of six vessels built under Seoul's frigate acquisition project, code-named FFX Batch-III, to build 3,600-ton frigates to replace aging frigates and corvettes.

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

The ROKS Chungnam is fitted with homegrown equipment, including a "multifunctional phased array radar" system capable of detecting and tracking multiple targets from "all directions," according to DAPA.

The new frigate is expected to be deployed for operation following a six-month training procedure.

South Korea has typically named frigates after the country's provinces and metropolitan cities. The Navy ran a vessel with the name Chungnam twice before, including a frigate decommissioned in 2017.

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