South Korea lays keel for new Ulsan frigate class
An artist’s rendering of the upcoming FFX Batch III class of frigate destined for the ROK Navy. (HHI)
There has been continued activity in terms of frigates, rocket-armed patrol boats and submarines in South Korea.
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) on 25 April laid the keel of the first of six FFX Batch III Ulsan-class frigates destined for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).
The ceremony involved laying out the first of an eventual 63 modules that will make up the 3,500t frigate. The 129m-long vessel employs a box girder design to make it survivable in the event of it being hit in combat.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) awarded the contract for this first vessel in March 2020. The ship will be the first ROKN vessel to feature a Hanwha Systems four-sided multifunctional phased-array
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