Recently, the South Korean Navy's frigate "Chungnam" (FFG-828) was launched at Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan Shipyard and is expected to be delivered by the end of December 2024. The ship is the first 3,600-ton missile frigate independently designed and built by South Korea, and it is also the corvette with the highest level of equipment in the South Korean Navy.
The Chungnam frigate is based on the enlarged design of the "Daegu" class frigate, which not only enlarges the hull, but also optimizes the bow design, so that its stability, seawall resistance and sailing resistance have been significantly improved. In the middle of the hull, it adopts a "ring beam" structure, which is designed to minimize the damage to the hull under water and enhance the survivability of the ship.
Judging by the data, the total length of the "Chungnam" is 1291 meter, the width of the ship is 148 meters, the height of the ship is 389 meters, draft 42 meters, standard displacement 3600 tons, full load displacement 4300 tons. This size makes it the largest frigate in the South Korean Navy, with a crew of 125. Its power system follows the diesel-electric hybrid system of the "Daegu" class, ensuring that the quiet performance is comparable to that of the "Daegu" class, and the maximum speed can reach 30 knots.
In terms of electronic systems, the Chungnam has also undergone a major upgrade, presumably using most of the electronic perception and electronic countermeasures equipment of the Daegu-class, with a focus on upgrading the battle management system, main radar, and sonar equipment. It is equipped with the "Navy Shield" baseline 3 based on virtualization and TSCE technology0 integrated combat management system, South Korean "Aegis" radar, new hull sonar and towed array sonar system, comprehensively improving the situational awareness of the whole ship.
The most distinctive feature of the Chungnam-class frigate is the integrated sensor mast on its top, which is a stealth design developed by Hanwha Systems. The S-band multifunctional phased array radar mounted on its top is South Korea's first fully digital solid-state active phased array radar, similar to the American-made "Aegis" radar. The radar is made of gallium ammonide (gallium) and has an infrared search and tracking sensor above each array, allowing it to detect and track multiple targets in all directions, and guide air defense** to multiple incoming targets.
Although the specific data of the ship's radar have not been disclosed, its effective detection range reaches 450 kilometers, and it has the potential to intercept ballistic missiles. However, only MFR radar and IRST are integrated on the sensor mast, and the other sensors are exposed, which is slightly inferior to the "integrated integrated radio frequency mast" design of Japan's "Mogami"-class missile frigates.
In terms of configuration, most of the "Chungnam" class is the same as the "Daegu" class, including main guns, missile launchers, torpedo tubes, anti-submarine and inflatable boats. But it will also replace the "Daegu" class "Phalanx" close defense system with the "CIWS-II" 7-barreled 30-mm close defense gun being developed by the company Lig Nex1. The close-in defense gun integrates two X-band phased array radars, one for air search and the other for target tracking. It also uses the AESA radar technology of the KF-21 Falcon fighter jet for enhanced missile detection capabilities. It is expected to complete the development of the system by 2030, and plans to install multi-type warships.
In terms of vertical launch units, the number of "Chungnam" class and the "Daegu" class is the same, both are 16 units. Although the Korean side has not announced the specific model, judging from the renderings, it is possible that the KVLS- and KVLS- models are mixed. The two models differ in tube size, versatility and type of adapted missiles, and can be loaded with a variety of new long-range missiles.
The ROK Navy has always been greedy for perfection, and it is often a destroyer of tens of thousands of tons. In fact, the 3,000-5,000-ton warships are completely sufficient in South Korea, and the relatively large and strong South Koreans cannot be defeated, and the small and weak ones are used to kill chickens with knives.