{"id":24324,"date":"2026-08-01T16:30:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=24324"},"modified":"2026-08-01T16:30:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:30:27","slug":"south-korea-signs-deal-to-build-first-homegrown-air-defense-destroyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=24324","title":{"rendered":"South Korea signs deal to build first homegrown air-defense destroyer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/3251785542374\/2026\/i\/17855431171598\/v1.5\/South-Korea-signs-deal-to-build-first-homegrown-air-defense-destroyer.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\nA front-view rendering of the KDDX next-generation destroyer. Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n                                            <\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">July 31 (Asia Today) &#8212;<\/span> South Korea&#8217;s arms procurement agency signed a contract with Hanwha Ocean on Friday for the detailed design and construction of the first KDDX next-generation destroyer.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement moves the long-delayed naval program into its full design and construction stage after nearly three years of disputes over the selection of a shipbuilder.\n<\/p>\n<p>The lead ship is scheduled to be delivered to the South Korean Navy by the end of 2032.<\/p>\n<p>The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said KDDX will be South Korea&#8217;s first large destroyer built with a domestically developed hull, combat management system, multifunction radar and other core weapons systems.<\/p>\n<p>Although the vessel is sometimes described in South Korea as a Korean-style Aegis destroyer or a mini-Aegis ship, it is not expected to use the U.S.-developed Aegis Combat System.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the destroyer will combine a South Korean integrated combat system with an indigenous phased-array radar to detect, track and engage aircraft, missiles, ships and other threats.\n<\/p>\n<p>The contract for the detailed design and lead ship is valued at about 882.1 billion won, or about $617 million.<\/p>\n<p>The entire program, including five additional destroyers, is expected to cost about 7.8 trillion won, or $5.46 billion.<\/p>\n<p>The government has not determined which companies will build the five follow-on ships or how those contracts will be awarded.<\/p>\n<p><b>Contract ends prolonged shipbuilder dispute<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, completed the KDDX conceptual design.<\/p>\n<p>HD Hyundai Heavy Industries later conducted the basic design, leading to expectations that it would receive a negotiated contract for the detailed design and lead ship.<\/p>\n<p>Hanwha Ocean instead called for a competitive bidding process, citing a military-secrets case involving HD Hyundai Heavy Industries employees.<\/p>\n<p>The acquisition agency accepted that request and held a competition.<\/p>\n<p>Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries were reportedly separated by less than 0.6 point in the final evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>A 1.2-point security penalty imposed on HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was considered decisive.<\/p>\n<p>Employees of the company had been convicted of photographing or improperly handling military secrets related to the KDDX program.<\/p>\n<p>Hanwha Ocean was selected as the preferred bidder June 11. The company&#8217;s selection had previously been reported as part of a six-ship program valued at approximately 7.8 trillion won or $5.46 billion.\n<\/p>\n<p>HD Hyundai Heavy Industries challenged the evaluation but its objection was rejected in early July. Negotiations between the acquisition agency and Hanwha Ocean then led to Friday&#8217;s final agreement.<\/p>\n<p>The contract was signed before all cost data were finalized. The final value may therefore be adjusted to reflect verified construction expenses.<\/p>\n<p><b>South Korean systems to replace foreign equipment<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The KDDX is expected to displace about 7,000 tons when lightly loaded and will be larger than South Korea&#8217;s Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers.<\/p>\n<p>It will be smaller than the Navy&#8217;s Sejong the Great and Jeongjo the Great-class destroyers equipped with the American Aegis system.<\/p>\n<p>The ship will feature a low-observable design and an integrated mast intended to reduce its radar signature.<\/p>\n<p>Planned armament includes a 5-inch naval gun and South Korean vertical launch systems capable of carrying surface-to-air, anti-ship, land-attack and anti-submarine weapons.<\/p>\n<p>The exact number of vertical launch cells has not been officially confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>The acquisition agency said major systems, including the combat management system, sonar, multifunction phased-array radar and ship-launched surface-to-air missiles, will be developed domestically.<\/p>\n<p>South Korea plans to apply technologies developed since the basic design was completed, including digital-twin construction, layered counter-drone defenses and a communications environment using 5G and integrated wired and wireless networks.\n<\/p>\n<p>A digital twin is a computerized replica of the ship that can be used to test design changes, construction procedures and equipment performance before work is carried out on the physical vessel.<\/p>\n<p>The Navy is also considering integrated electric propulsion to reduce noise and improve anti-submarine survivability.<\/p>\n<p>Automation is expected to reduce the number of sailors required to operate the ship compared with older destroyer classes.<\/p>\n<p><b>Schedule remains a challenge<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The KDDX basic design was completed in December 2023 and the detailed design and lead ship construction were originally expected to begin soon afterward.<\/p>\n<p>Disputes between Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries delayed the program by about two years.<\/p>\n<p>The acquisition agency and Hanwha Ocean will now need to shorten portions of the development and construction schedule to meet the 2032 delivery target.<\/p>\n<p>Jung Jae-jun, head of the acquisition agency&#8217;s force resources division, described KDDX as a national project bringing together South Korea&#8217;s shipbuilding and defense capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Jung said the government would examine several options for the construction of the follow-on vessels while seeking to deploy the new destroyers on schedule.<\/p>\n<p>He said the program could also strengthen the international competitiveness of South Korean naval vessels.<\/p>\n<p>Hanwha Ocean previously said it felt a significant responsibility after being selected as the preferred bidder and would work with the government to normalize the delayed program.\n<\/p>\n<p>Competition between Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is expected to continue as the government determines how to award contracts for the five remaining destroyers.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8212; Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u00a9 Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Original Korean report: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260731010011621\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260731010011621<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; A front-view rendering of the KDDX next-generation destroyer. Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean&#13; &#13; July 31 (Asia Today) &#8212; South Korea&#8217;s arms procurement agency signed a contract with Hanwha Ocean on Friday for the detailed design and construction of the first KDDX next-generation destroyer. The agreement moves the long-delayed naval program into its full&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/sv\/ph\/og\/i\/3251785542374\/2026\/1\/17855431171598\/v1.5\/South-Korea-signs-deal-to-build-first-homegrown-air-defense-destroyer.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}