MADEX 2017: What we Learned on the ROK Navy Future KDX-III Batch II Aegis Destroyers
At MADEX 2017, the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition held in October 2017 in Busan, South Korea, Navy Recognition learned some fresh details on the KDX-III Batch II destroyers.
South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced in late May 2016 that Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) was selected as contractor for “KDX-III Batch-II Design and construction of the first hull”. The KDX-III Batch II program calls for the construction of three Aegis destroyers, one to be delivered every two years from 2023. The three existing 7,600-ton KDX-III Batch I Aegis destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROK Navy) are based on the DDG 51 class of the US Navy.
Since the DAPA announcement last year, almost no information has been publicly released. MADEX 2017 was the right opportunity for Navy Recognition to learn some new details from various sources.
KDX-III with more (fire)power
Don't expect the KDX-III Batch II to look much different compared to the Batch I. Talking to Navy Recognition at MADEX 2017, an HHI representative explained that "the Batch II will be almost identical to the Batch I in terms of exterior looks". Most of the differences will be inside the ship. The Batch II most stringent new requirements are for more electrical power (to accommodate more powerful radars and combat system) and for a high level of automation in order to reduce the crew size of the ship as per ROK Navy requirements. (Official DAPA documents show a requirement for a crew size of 200 sailors for the Batch II. That's almost half of the Batch I Sejong the Great-class crew complement). Ship size (11,000t full load) is expected to be stay more or less unchanged between Batch I and Batch II. Same goes for the number of VLS (128 strike-length cells: 80 Mk41 for Standard Missiles and 48 K-VLS for K-ASROC Red Shark and Hyunmoo III land attack cruise missiles), the RAM launch forward, the K-Mk45 Mod 4 5 Inch main gun and the impressive 16 SSM-700K Haeseong anti-ship missiles. Thales doesn't produce the Goalkeeper CIWS anymore so this system will be different (our guess it that it will be replaced by a Phalanx or SeaRAM).
"The biggest change will be with the combat system" said our HHI source. While the three existing Sejong the Great-class destroyers are fitted with the Aegis baseline 7, phase 1 combat system (as well as a Samsung Thales Naval Shield Integrated combat system), the Batch II is set to feature the Aegis Baseline 9 and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System BMD 5.1 enabling the vessel to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles (an important topic nowadays in South Korea). The vessels would likely feature some kind of local combat system interfaced with the Aegis system too (by Hanwha Systems). DAPA officialy said in 2016 that compared to the present ships, the new vessels will have much improved combat systems that can detect and track targets at greater distances and with more precision. "They will have twice the detection and tracking abilities compared to ships now in service with the country's Navy," DAPA said. It said the ships with an additional variable depth sonar system will also be better at detecting submarine threats. "Once the batch 3 ships become operational, Seoul will be able to better cope with North Korea's nuclear, missile and submarine threats, and should even be able to counter maritime challenges it could face with neighboring countries," DAPA said to local media Yonhap back in 2016.
Depending on export agreements, the vessels may receive gallium nitride technology radar components from Japan. The new class will also benefit from an improved electronic warfare suite (Sonata Next Generation by LIG Nex1). According to our information, the decoy launcher is expected to be the MASS by Rheinmetall. The vessel will also feature indigenous hull-mounted sonar and active towed aray. Finally, KDX-III Batch-II may be the first South Korean vessel class to be fitted with directed energy weapons (not initially but as part of an upgrade).
Initial reports of the Batch II potentially featuring a Hybrid-Electric Drive (HED) system seem to be proved wrong as HHI confirmed to us that the propulsion type will be COGAG (combined gas turbine and gas turbine) with four LM2500 by GE (similar to the Batch I and DDG 51s).
HHI is under contract for design and construction of the first ship for now. According to our information, the Ulsan shipyard has a good chance to build the second and third hulls as well: The program is now a top priority of the ROK Navy and having HHI built all three ships of the class would lower risk. HHI told us that the basic design is currently "halfway through" and that detailed design is set to begin in 2019.
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