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Naval Forces News - South Korea
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Hyundai Heavy Industries to Start Planing & Design Work on FFX Batch III Frigates for ROK Navy
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South Korea's defense procurement agency Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) today signed a contract with Hyundai Heavy & Industries for planing and design work on the future FFX Batch III Frigates for the Republic of Korean Navy (ROK Navy). One week ago, DAPA ordered early two Daegu-class (FFX Batch II or FFX-II) Frigates from the same shipbuilder.
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 FFX Batch III Picture: DAPA |
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Six FFX Batch III (also known as FFX III) are set to be built by 2026.
The biggest improvement of the FFX-III over previous batches (FFX-I Incheon-class and FFX-II Daegu-class) is the upgraded integrated radar system and a larger VLS package. It is said that the FFX-III's anti-air package includes a navalized, GaN-AESA version of the land-based 'Sky Bow' M-SAM system (with a longer range and larger interceptor than the Sea Bow SAAM). The main sensor aboard FFX-III will be a new Integrated radar system by Hanwha Thales. Currently in development, it is a multi-function digital multi-beam radar. It combines four planar active phased array multifunction radar (MFR) antennas as well as four Infra-red search and track (IRST) sensors. The design differs from the typical Thales Netherlands family of I-Masts: The Korean solution is not a "1 piece" integrated mast, but rather a radar module in cubic shape designed to be fitted at the top of a conventional mast. This radar is expected to utilize dual S/X-band multifunction radar for the first time in ROK Navy service. It's not two radars on the same mast, but rather one MFR operating on two bands. With the M-SAM and the new MFR, FFX Batch III will be reportedly capable of conducting anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defence missions. |
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 FFX Batch III is based on Hyundai Heavy Industries HDF-3500 multipurpose frigate design |
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FFX Batch III is based on Hyundai Heavy Industries HDF-3500 multipurpose frigate design. A scale model of which was on display during Euronaval 2016 with the following specifications:
Displacement: 3500 tons Length overall: 125 meters Breadth: 15 meters Draught: 5 meters Range: 8,500 nm @ 15 knots Endurance: 40 days at sea Total accommodation: 100 (crew 65) Hangar for one mid-size helicopter Original construction schedule of FFX-II/III (launch dates) FFX-II ship 7: May 2016 ship 8~9: 2017 ship 10~11: 2018 ship 12~13: 2019 ship 14: 2020 Batch II total budget: $2.7 billion FFX-III ship 15: 2021 ship 16~17: 2022 ship 18~19: 2023 ship 20~21: 2024 ship 22: 2025 Batch III total budget: $3.3 billion (In the end, only 6 FFX Batch III will be built). From 2025 onward Korea will begin building KDDX and investing in an ASW corvette program called Patrol Corvette Xperimental. They'll share a lot of the new technology of FFX. |
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 FFX Batch I (left) and Batch III (right) |
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