South Korean shipbuilder SK Oceanplant has launched the fourth Chungnam-class guided-missile frigate ordered by the Republic of Korea Navy.
Like her sisters, the future ROKS Jeju has a length of 129 metres, a beam of 15 metres, and a displacement of 3,600 tonnes. Upon completion, she will have space for 125 crewmembers and a combined diesel-electric or gas propulsion arrangement.
SK Oceanplant is also building two other Chungnam-class frigates while the final two ships in the class will be constructed by Hanwha Ocean, which also built class lead ship ROKS Chungnam.
The future Jeju will boast significantly enhanced anti-air warfare capability through the installation of a four-sided, multi-functional phased array radar that can provide 360 degrees of coverage without any blind spots, a combat management system, a fire control radar, and a vertical launch system for K-SAAM surface-to-air missiles.
This array of systems will enable the ship to simultaneously track and intercept up to eight airborne targets such as aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles.
The frigate will also be armed with a 127mm naval gun, a 30mm close-in weapon system for point defence against low-flying missiles and aircraft, land attack missiles, depth charges, and torpedoes.
