Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyers (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 광개토대왕급 구축함), often called KD-I class, are destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, but are classified by some as frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, operated by the Republic of Korea Navy
Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
. It was the first phase of ROKN's KDX
Korean Destroyer eXperimental
KDX is a substantial shipbuilding program embarked on by the Republic of Korea Navy.*It is a three-phased program consisting of three individual classes of ships:** KDX-I ,** KDX-II ,...
program, in moving the ROK Navy from a coastal defence force to a blue-water navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
.
Weapon Systems
The primary weapon deployed by Gwanggaeto the Great class vessels is the Super Lynx helicopter, which acts in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. The Gwanggaeto-class also carries a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedoes, launched from triple torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar. A secondary anti-shipping role is supported by the RGM-84 Harpoon surface-to-surface missile, mounted in two quadruple launch tubes at the main deck level between the funnel and the helicopter hangar. For anti-aircraft self-defense the Gwanggaeto-class carries 16 RIM-7P Sea Sparrow. The Gwanggaeto-class also carries two 30mm GoalkeeperGoalkeeper CIWS
Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,...
to provide a shipboard point-defense against incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The main gun on the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
is an OTO Melara 127
Otobreda 127/54 Compact
The Otobreda 127mm/54 Compact gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Oto Melara. The gun is completely new but uses the same semi fixed ammunition as the American 5 inch/ 54 gun. It was introduced into service in 1968. A new advanced lightweight mounting for corvettes has been...
gun.
Propulsion
The Gwanggaeto the Great class is powered by two General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbinesGeneral Electric LM2500
-External links:* .* *...
and two Sangyong 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines. The Gwanggaeto-class can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Construction
All Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyers were built by the DaewooDaewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
Heavy Industries Co., Inc. at Geoje
Geoje
Geoje is a city located in South Gyeongsang province, just off the coast of the port city of Busan, South Korea. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Okpo and Samsung Heavy Industries in Gohyeon are both located on Geoje Island. The city also offers a wide range of tourist sights...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In 1989, Daewoo Heavy Industries began working on the 4,000-ton destroyer which is now secondary destroyer of the Korean navy, and the achievement was made through DSME's 100% design engineering for the first time in Korea.
Ships in the class
| Hull No. | Name | Launched | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDH-971 | Gwanggaeto the Great Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo was the nineteenth monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His full posthumous name roughly means "Very Greatest King, Broad Expander of Territory, buried in Gukgangsang.", sometimes abbreviated to Hotaewang or Taewang... |
28 October 1996 | 31 July 1998 |
| DDH-972 | Eulji Mundeok Eulji Mundeok Eulji Mundeok was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korean military history, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui Chinese... |
16 October 1997 | 30 August 1999 |
| DDH-973 | Yang Manchun Yang Manchun Yang Manchun is the name given to the Goguryeo commander of Ansi fortress in the 640s.Ansi fortress was located on the Goguryeo-Chinese border, probably present-day Haicheng. Yang is sometimes credited with saving the kingdom by his refusal to surrender the fortress to invading Tang... |
30 September 1998 | 29 June 2000 |
See also
- Korean Destroyer eXperimentalKorean Destroyer eXperimentalKDX is a substantial shipbuilding program embarked on by the Republic of Korea Navy.*It is a three-phased program consisting of three individual classes of ships:** KDX-I ,** KDX-II ,...
- Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyerChungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyerChungmugong Yi Sun-shin class destroyers are multipurpose destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship of this class, ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin, was launched in May 2002 and commissioned in December 2003...
(KD-II)
- King Sejong the Great class destroyer (KD-III)