Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer

Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer
Class overview
Builders:	Daewoo Heavy Industries Co.
Operators:	Republic of Korea Navy
Succeeded by:	Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class
In commission:	1998–
Planned:	12
Completed:	3
Cancelled:	9
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	3,885–3,900 tonnes (3,824–3,838 long tons) full load
Length:	135.5 m (444 ft 7 in)
Beam:	14.2 m (46 ft 7 in)
Draft:	4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines 2 × SsangYong Motor Company 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines 2 shafts
Speed:	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range:	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:	286
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-49(V) 2D air search radar Signaal MW 08 surface search radar Daewoo SPS-95k navigation radar 2 × Signaal STIR 180 Fire control radars ATLAS DSQS-21BZ Hull mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy ARGOSystems AR 700 and APECS 2 ECM 4 × CSEE DAGAIE MK.2 Chaff Launchers
Armament:	1 × OTO Melara 127 mm (5 inch)/54 gun 2 × Signaal 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS 2 × quadruple Harpoon missile canisters 1 × Mk.48 mod2 VLS with 16 RIM-7P Sea Sparrow missiles 2 × triple 324 mm (12.8 in) torpedo tubes (Mark 46 torpedoes)
Aircraft carried:	2 × Super Lynx helicopters

ROKS Eulji Mundeok (DDH-972) rafted next to ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin (DDH-975) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during RIMPAC 2004

The Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers (Hangul: 광개토대왕급 구축함, Hanja: 廣開土大王級驅逐艦), often called KD-I class, are destroyers, but are classified by some as frigates,^[1] operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. It was the first phase of ROKN's KDX program, in moving the ROK Navy from a coastal defence force to a blue-water navy.

Development

The KDX-I was designed to replace the old destroyers in the ROKN that were transferred from the US Navy in the 1950s and 1960s. It was thought to be a major turning point for the ROKN in that the launching of the first KDX-I meant that ROKN finally had a capability to project power far from its shores. After the launching of the ship, there was a massive boom in South Korean international participation against piracy and military operations other than war.^[2]

Description

Weapon Systems

The primary weapon deployed by Gwanggaeto the Great-class vessels is the Super Lynx helicopter, which acts in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. The Gwanggaeto the Great class also carries a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedoes, launched from triple torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar. A secondary anti-shipping role is supported by the RGM-84 Harpoon surface-to-surface missile, mounted in two quadruple launch tubes at the main deck level between the funnel and the helicopter hangar. For anti-aircraft self-defense, the Gwanggaeto the Great class carries 16 RIM-7P Sea Sparrow. The Gwanggaeto the Great class also carries two 30mm Goalkeeper to provide a shipboard point-defense against incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The main gun on the forecastle is an OTO Melara 127 gun.

Propulsion

The Gwanggaeto the Great class is powered by two General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines and two SsangYong 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines. The Gwanggaeto the Great class can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots.

Construction

All Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers were built by the Daewoo Heavy Industries Co., Inc. at Geoje, South Korea. In 1989, Daewoo Heavy Industries began working on the 4,000-ton destroyer which is now the secondary destroyer of the Korean navy, and the achievement was made through DSME's 100% design engineering for the first time in Korea.

Ships in the class

See also

• Korean Destroyer eXperimental
• Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer
• Sejong the Great-class destroyer

References

External links

• ROKN Navy website on KDX-I
• Globalsecurity on KDX-I
• Powercorea on KDX-I