HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) launched Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, the next-generation Aegis destroyer, yesterday (17 September).
Claimed to be the most powerful Aegis destroyer to date, the vessel was launched at a ceremony in Ulsan, South Korea.
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“Aegis destroyer ‘Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’, a symbol of Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation, is launched,” HD HHI said in a post on LinkedIn.
Dasan Jeong Yak-yong spans 170m in length, 21m in width, and boasts a displacement of 8,200 tons (t). It has a top speed of 30 knots.
The vessel features an integrated sonar system, advanced interceptor capabilities, and Aegis Combat System, domestically developed by HHI.
Designed to enhance undersea mission capabilities, Dasan Jeong Yak-yong can deploy both long-range and lightweight antisubmarine torpedoes.
It will also carry MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to extend its operational reach.
The Republic of Korea Navy anticipates delivery of the destroyer in late 2026, after which it will join the navy’s Task Fleet Command, a Yonhap News Agency report said.
The agency quoted the navy and Defense Acquisition Program Administration as saying: “The launched Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, alongside the Jeongjo the Great destroyer, is equipped with the most powerful combat capabilities among the navy’s surface ships and will become a core asset of a maritime-based three-axis deterrence system.”
The first-in-class ship, Jeongjo the Great, was delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy in November 2024.
This destroyer incorporates South Korea’s latest Aegis Combat Management System, a multifunction phased array radar, an integrated sonar system developed by HHI, and a vertical launch system. It also operates an MH-60R maritime operation helicopter.
With its advanced systems designed for long-range attacks on strategic targets and improved detection of underwater threats such as submarines, Jeongjo the Great sets a new standard for naval defence technology.
The third and final ship in the KDX-III Batch-II programme is set for delivery in 2027.
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