The South Korean government has approved a 3.51 trillion Korean Won ($3.07 billion) program to build six advanced frigates.
The Future Frigate eXperimental (FFX) Batch-IV program will be the final batch of the FFX project that has seen more advanced ships being produced with every passing stage. The program will run from 2023-2032.
The project was launched to replace the country’s aging fleet of Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates, beginning with the Incheon class frigate in 2011.
Previous Batches
Following the induction of six 2,300-ton Incheon-class frigates by 2015, the first of the eight planned 2,800-ton Daegu-class ships was launched in 2018, Naval News wrote.
According to the outlet, the Daegu-class frigates, jointly built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, incorporated new features such as the X-shaped bridge for a reduced radar cross-section. Five of the ships have been launched, and three have been commissioned.
The FFX project’s third batch of ships comprises the 3,500-ton Ulsan-class frigates being built by the HHI. The frigates will see a significant improvement in their anti-aircraft capability, according to Aju Business Daily.
Additionally, the ships will use active electronically scanned array radar. The first of the six Ulsan-class vessels will be launched in 2023 and commissioned a year later, Naval News wrote.
FFX Batch-IV
According to Naval News, the final ship class of the project will feature a “domestically designed and produced engineering control system” to make them more attractive for export. The outlet argued that featuring an indigenous system will cut out the need to seek approval from foreign governments.
According to the outlet, the ships are likely to displace between 4,500 tons and 5,000 tons. However, the South Korean Defense Project Commission Committee, which announced the decision, did not reveal any specifics about the program.
