Construction approved for final batch of FFX frigates for South Korean Navy

The Defense Project Commission Committee (DPCC) of the South Korean government has given its approval for construction to proceed on the fourth and final batch of ships under the South Korean Navy’s Future Frigate Experimental (FFX) program.

The construction of the batch of six frigates will take place between 2023 and 2032 and will have an approximate total cost of ₩3.51 trillion (US$2.9 billion). However, details have not yet been provided on the vessels’ specifications or which shipyards have been selected.

The batch IV FFX ships are slated to replace the navy’s Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates that entered service in the 1980s and 1990s.