South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has received a contract for the third Sejong the Great-class (KDX III Batch II) destroyer for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy.
As explained, the company and the Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) inked the final contract worth KRW 670 billion ($514 million) on 13 December.
The first batch of three Sejong the Great-class destroyers was commissioned between 2008 and 2012. Worth noting is the fact that the destroyers carry an impressive 128 VLS cells, including the Mk 41 vertical launch system and the Korean Vertical Launching System (K-VLS). For comparison, the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers and Japan’s Atago-class Aegis destroyers are fitted with 90 VLS cells.
Batch II vessels will be armed with the SM-6 to provide defense against ballistic missiles. Furthermore, the vessel will feature 21.4 meters in width, 170 meters in length, and 8200 tons. The ships will be slightly longer and heavier than those of Batch I.
The contract for the second vessel in the second batch was signed last November. To be built at the Ulsan shipyard, the unit is scheduled for delivery in 2026, according to HHI.
The construction on the lead upgraded Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) Batch-II guided-missile destroyer started in February 2021 with the steel-cutting ceremony in Ulsan. The ship is slated for delivery in 2024.