South Korea Begins Upgrade Program for KDX-II Destroyer to be Fierce

South Korea Kicks Off KDX-II Destroyer Upgrade Program.

On January 15, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a kickoff meeting for the combat system development as part of the upgrade program (performance improvement program or PIP) for the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers (KDX-II).

The Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers (KDX-II) have paved the way for the Republic of Korea Navy to transition into a blue-water navy. As a core asset of the Maritime Task Flotilla Seven, they are regularly deployed as part of the Escort Task Group in the Gulf of Aden, ensuring the safe navigation of both South Korean and civilian vessels against maritime crimes. Research to develop a successor to the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers is currently underway, with completion targeted for the 2030s. At MADEX 2023, Hanwha Ocean proposed the KDDX-S concept, which features increased displacement and reduced personnel requirements through automation and unmanned systems.

Specifications:
Displacement: 5,500t (full-load)
Length: 150 meters
Beam: 17.4 meters
Draft: 7.3 meters
Propulsion: GE LM2500 gas-turbine engine x 2, MTU diesel engine x 2 (CODOG) two-shafts
Speed: Top speed up to 30 knots
Range: 5,500nm at a speed of 20 knots
Approx. 230 personnel
SYQ-500K mod.II KDCOM2 (CMS)

Armaments
5-inch Mk 45 gun x 1
30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS x 1
RGM-84D Harpoon or SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship missiles x 8
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) x 1
32-cell Mk41 VLS for SM-2 Block IIIA
24-cell K-VLS for C-Star-II surface to land cruise missile and Red Shark K-ASROC
Triple 324 mm torpedo tubes for K745 Blue Shark torpedo x 2
Sensors
RTX AN/SPS-49(V)5 2D long-range radar
Thales Nederland MW08 3D radar
Thales Nederland STIR 240 fire-control radar
Sonar
Atlas Elektronik DSQS-21BZ hull-mounted sonar
SQR-220K towed array sonar system
Softkill/ECM
SLQ-261K TACM
K-DAGAIE Mk 2 decoy system
SLQ-200(V)K SONATA ECM

Aircraft
Mk 99 Super Lynx x 2