South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries launched ROKS Chungnam III (FFG-828), the first of six Chungnam-class FFX Batch III frigate.

This was reported by the administration of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea.

The FFX Batch III frigate would also function as a testbed for the new combat systems that future ships would be equipped with. Namely the “integrated mast” and the CIWS-II anti-aircraft gun system. Therefore, the commissioning of the Chungnam-class frigates into active service is an important milestone for the South Korean Navy.

After testing, the frigate is due to be transferred to the Navy the following December. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

South Korea usually names frigates after the provinces and capital cities of the country. The country’s navy has already operated a vessel called Chungnam twice, including a frigate decommissioned in 2017.

Chungnam-class frigates

The Chungnam-class frigate is the first ship built as part of the Seoul frigate acquisition program, codenamed FFX Batch-III. Behind it, the country plans to build six 3,600-ton frigates to replace obsolete frigates and corvettes.

The frigate received various technological innovations compared to its predecessors: the Batch-II series ships.

One of the main innovations was the new “integrated mast.” It is a complex of several advanced technological components, such as a radar with an active phased array antenna, an advanced search and tracking complex in the infrared spectrum, and an electro-optical surveillance system. They should help the vessel better detect threats and defend itself in the event of intense naval warfare.

The Chungnam-class frigates are the first in the South Korean Navy to be equipped with CIWS-II anti-aircraft gun systems from LIG Nex1 for short-range air defense.

The ship is also armed with a 16-cell KVLS (Korean Vertical Launching System) universal vertical launcher, a 127mm Mk.45 main gun, and a Korean-made K-SAAM naval anti-aircraft missile system.

Ships of the Chungnam type are 129 meters long and 14.8 m wide. Their displacement drops 4,300 tons at full load. The maximum cruising speed is 30 knots, thanks to the powerful Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine unit and the CODLOG powerplant.

Thanks to the electric power plant, the ship greatly reduced the risk of detection by submarines, as it does not create much noise during operation. However, the ship can still move quickly with a gas turbine plant in an emergency.