Article Posted on : - Jul 18, 2013

The Incheon frigate of RoK Navy.

SEOUL (BNS): South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has launched the second Incheon class multi-role frigate for the country's Navy on Thursday.

The 2,300-ton frigate, named Gyeonggi, was launched at the HHI's shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan in the presence of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy chief and other senior officials, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The indigenously-built frigate has been designed to carry maritime helicopters and is equipped with advanced radar system, guns, sonar system as well as anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, the Navy said.

The warship has a maximum speed of 30 knots (55.6 kilometers/hour) and accommodates up to 120 personnel.

It will be delivered to the Navy in 2014 and deployed for operation in 2015, the report said quoting officials.

South Korea plans to build about 20 such ships to replace the Navy's aging fleet of Pohang class corvettes and Ulsan class frigates by 2020 to take over multi-role operations such as coast patrol, anti-submarine warfare and transport support.

Incheon, the lead ship of the class, was launched in April 2011.