KDX III SOUTH KOREAN DESTROYER.

KDX (Korean Destroyer eXperimental) is the Republic of Korea’s big surface combatant shipbuilding program. This 3-phased program involves 3 individual classes of ships. The 3 KDX-I Gwanggaeto the Great Class ships are called destroyers, but a 3,800 tons their size and armament more properly rank them as small frigates. The last ship of class was commissioned in 2000. The next 6 KDX-II Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Class ships are indeed destroyers at 6,085 tons full load, with a hull design licensed from Germany’s IABG and more advanced systems that include SM-2 air defense missiles. They were commissioned between 2003-2008.

With that experience under their belts, Korea has now launched into the 3rd phase of the program. The KDX-III King Sejong the Great destroyers are by far the largest, at 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load. They carry the AEGIS combat system, along with a wide array of American, European, and Korean weapons and missiles.

DID’s article offers details regarding the class, as well as some of the relevant contracts. The latest item is a $41.1 million award to Lockheed Martin for combat systems engineering, installation, and testing aboard the 2nd ship being built in the KDX-III class.

The KDX-III is clearly intended to be a multi-purpose destroyer will full air defense, land attack, anti-shipping, and anti-submarine capabilities. It is also being designed with tactical ballistic missile defense capabilities, and important consideration if North Korea is your neighbor. All of its contemporaries are classed as DDG (guided missile destroyers), but the ROK Navy has designated its KDX ships as DDH. The ROKN has ordered 3 ships so far, with an option for another 3.

The KDX-III King Sejong Class will be significantly larger than the 5,000t KDX-IIs, with a standard displacement of over 7,600t and a full load displacement of around 10,000t – almost light cruiser size. GE’s ubiquitous LM2500 gas turbines provide main power, thanks to 4 turbines mounted in each destroyer.

Sometimes described as an enlarged and updated DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class, KDX-III will also use the advanced AEGIS radar & combat system combination with the AN/SPY-1D radar, and carry 80 Mk 41 vertical launch cells. Another 48 K-VLS cells aft will carry Hyunmoo cruise missiles, Korean ASROC, and possibly other Korean weapons in future.

Weapons will include RIM-116B Rolling Airframe Missile Block 1 and vertically-launched SM-2 Block IIIB surface-to-air missiles for anti-aircraft duries, plus a 30mm “Goalkeeper” CIWS system for close-in defense. Submarines will be confronted with 16 anti-submarine “Haesung” (sea star) rockets, and a pair of 324mm torpedo mounts in KMK 32 configuration. Other naval and land targets can be confronted with any combination of cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, etc. that the ROKN decides to place in the remaining MK 41 and K-VLS vertical launch cells.

The ships are being designed with a number of low-observable features to reduce their radar profile. These measures also include advanced infa-red signature reduction methods designed to give it an IR signature far superior to comparable ships, including its U.S. contemporary the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class destroyer.

Official statements said that the name Sejongdaewang-Ham (“King Sejong”) was chosen for the first ship because of this importance in Korean history. Besides supporting the creation of the Korean “Hangeul” alphabet, this 15th century Chosun Dynasty monarch is also known for strengthening the country’s national defense capability.

After the ROKS King Sejong’s official delivery to the ROK Navy at the end of 2008, 2 other ships of the class are expected to enter service in 2010 and 2012. GlobalSecurity.org estimates that each vessel will cost about 1.2 trillion won (roughly $923 million equivalent).

General characteristics
Class and type: Sejong the Great class destroyers
Displacement: 8,500 tons standard displacement
11,000 tons full load
Length: 165.9 m
Beam: 21.4 m
Draft: 6.25 m
Propulsion: 4 General Electric LM2500 COGAG;
two shafts,
100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Range: 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km)
Complement: 300-400 crew members
Sensors and
processing systems:

* AN/SPY-1D(V5) multi-function radar, four antenna arrays, single deck house.
* AN/SPG-62 fire control radar
* Atlas Elektronik Bow-mounted DSQS-21 BZ-M sonar
* MTeQ towed array sonar system.

Electronic warfare
and decoys: LIG Nex1 SLQ-200(V)1K Sonata electronic warfare suite.[1]
Armament:

* 1 x 5 inch (127mm/L62) Mk-45 Mod 4 naval gun
* 1 x 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS
* 1 x RAM Block 1 SAAM
* 80 cells Mk 41 VLS SM-2 Block IIIB/IV
* 4 x 4 SSM-700K Hae Sung long-range anti-ship missile
* 32 x Hyunmoo III land attack missiles
* 16 x K-ASROC Red Shark in (VLS)
* 2 x 3 K745 LW Blue Shark torpedoes

Aircraft carried: • Two Westland Lynx Mk.99 ASW helicopters with full accommodations



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Sejong_the_Great_class_destroyer

DARI PADA DUITNYA DI KORUP, MESTINYA ARMADA TNI AL DI BANGUN DENGAN KAPAL-KAPAL SEKELAS KDX III INI UNTUK MENJAGA PERAIRAIRAN RI DARI RONG-RONGAN NEGARA2 TETANGGA YANG TIDAK RAMAH !!!!