The South Korean government, through the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), has formally begun a new project wherein two new frigates will be built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).
Hanwha Ocean will construct the frigates, which will have the same overall dimensions as the ROKN's earlier Chungnam-class ships but will boast advanced cybersecurity features as well as smart systems that will permit smaller crew complements to be embarked.
The contract awarded to Hanwha Ocean, which has a value equivalent to approximately US$578.6 million, covers the construction of the two frigates up to December 2030.
The six earlier Chungnam-class frigates are being built by Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), and SK Oceanplant. Each builder will deliver two frigates to the ROKN up until the middle of 2028. Class lead ship ROKS Chungnam was delivered by HHI to the ROKN in December 2024.
The frigates' missions will include anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare. Each ship's armament will include a 127mm naval gun, a close-in weapon system, land attack missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and torpedoes.