Hyundai awarded construction contract for first South Korean FFX-III frigate
South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has been awarded a contract to build the first ship of a class of frigates for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).
The company announced earlier this week that the contract, which is valued at 400 billion won ($545.7 million), had been signed with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for the first of six Ulsan-class frigates.
The class of 129-metre long ships was previously known as the FFX Batch III frigates and will displace 3,500-ton vessels. A hybrid propulsion system combines speed and stealth, with an electric propulsion system for quiet running while a gas-turbine can drive the ship up to its maximum speed of 30 knots.
The new ships will feature an integrated mast with an four-sided phased array multi-function radar for all-round coverage, and an infra-red search-and-track system. The ship is expected to be completed in 2024.
In addition to building ships for the RoKN, HHI has also found export success in the form of two Jose Rizal-class frigates for the Philippine Navy. Both Filipino ships are due to be delivered this year, with the first expected in March and the second to follow six months later.
