This graphic, provided by Hanwha Ocean Co. on Dec. 19, 2024, shows a representation of a frigate under the country’s planned FFX-Batch IV program. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — The state defense procurement agency officially launched the fourth and final phase of its next-generation frigate project on Wednesday as part of efforts to replace the Navy’s aging warships.
Defense officials and companies involved in the project gathered at Hanwha Ocean Co.’s headquarters in Geoje, 329 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to discuss details of the FFX-Batch IV program, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
Last month, DAPA signed an 839.1 billion won (US$585.6 million) deal with Hanwha Ocean to build the first two warships of the final batch. The Navy is scheduled to receive the first frigate by 2029 and the second one by 2030.
The new warships will have upgrades over the previous batch of frigates, such as electronic warfare equipment that extends their detection range, DAPA said.
Defense authorities first launched the next-generation frigate acquisition program in 2006 to modernize its older frigates and corvettes in four phases.
(Yonhap)
