South Korea pushes to build three more Aegis destroyers

The South Korean Navy has made a request to build three more Aegis destroyers to bolster defense against its Asian neighbors and North Korea amid increasing military tension due to territorial disputes, a military source said Wednesday.

 

South Korea currently operates three 7,600-ton Aegis warships, but the Navy has sought to increase its fleet to cope with rising regional tension in light of Pyongyang's third nuclear test conducted earlier this year and ongoing territorial disputes between China and Japan.

 

"The Navy made a request for three additional Aegis ships to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) a year ago," the source said, asking for anonymity. "The JCS will discuss the plan in a meeting slated for next month."

 

If the plan is approved, the Navy will begin to build the ships between 2020 and 2025, he noted.

It is estimated to cost about 3 trillion won (US$2.8 billion) to build the three ships, according to military officials.

 

South Korea has built three Aegis destroyers since 2004 under a Navy buildup project to bolster defense against North Korea.

 

The 166-meter-long destroyer is equipped with the latest radar system as well as missiles and torpedoes in their vertical launch system. With 300 crew members, it can also carry two mid-sized helicopters and sail at a top speed of 30 knots within a range of 1,000 kilometres.

Aegis Software

The success of the U.S. Navy's Aegis system in destroying ballistic missiles, and low orbit satellites has led to rapid development of the Aegis control software. Aegis equipped ships are now getting version 4.0 and the next major upgrade (5.0) will make the anti-missile capabilities a standard feature of Aegis software. New destroyers are having anti-missile Aegis software installed as standard equipment. Much of the anti-missile capability of the original Aegis anti-aircraft system came from upgrades to the Aegis software.

 

As of this year 31 of the 82 American Aegis equipped ships have anti-missile/satellite capability. If all Aegis ships were converted, the U.S. would have a formidable, and very flexible, capability to defeat ballistic missiles and low flying spy satellites. So the navy is applying pressure to get money to keep the older Aegis ships (the Ticonderoga's and the first few Arleigh Burke class destroyers) in commission for this. This depends on Congress providing enough money for running these ships and to convert them (for about $20 million each) and supply each ship with four or more SM-3 anti-missile missiles (about $10 million each).

 

The Aegis anti-missile system has had a success rate of over 80 percent in knocking down incoming ballistic missile warheads during test firings. To achieve this two similar models of the U.S. Navy Standard anti-aircraft missile are in service, in addition to a modified (to track incoming ballistic missiles version) of the Aegis radar system.

 

The RIM-161A, also known as the Standard Missile 3 (or SM-3), has a range of over 500 kilometers and max altitude of over 160 kilometers. The Standard 3 is based on the anti-missile version of the Standard 2 (SM-2 Block IV). This SM-3 missile has a shorter range than the SM-2, which can destroy a warhead that is more than 200 kilometers up. The SM-3 is only good for anti-missile work, while the SM-2 Block IV can be used against both ballistic missiles and aircraft. The SM-2 Block IV also costs less than half what an SM-3 costs.

 

The Standard 3 has four stages. The first two stages boost the interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each motor firing it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching the target. The fourth stage is the nine kilogram (20 pound) LEAP kill vehicle, which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it. The Aegis system was designed to operate aboard warships (cruisers and destroyers that have been equipped with the special software that enables the AEGIS radar system to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles). However, there is also a land based version.

Aegis Combat System Successfully Completes Trials on Second Republic of Korea Destroyer

The Republic of Korea ship Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992), supported by the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin, successfully completed a series of trials for the ship's Aegis Combat System.

The at-sea Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The trials are the final tests of system design, hardware and software integration, ship construction and crew training.

"These trials validate Yulgok Yi I's Aegis Combat System, ship and crew and their ability to execute Combat System missions," said Doug Wilhelm, director of international programs at Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems & Sensors business unit. "This ship will be a significant addition to the air defense, anti-submarine, anti-surface and self-defense capabilities of the Republic of Korea Navy. We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with the Republic of Korea Navy through our work on this program."

During the CSSQT, the ship's combat system was evaluated for combat readiness through comprehensive multi-mission warfare exercises, as well as thorough testing of the system's tactical data link capabilities. The anti-air warfare exercises included manned aircraft raids, electronic attack scenarios and live air-defense engagements.

Yulgok Yi I is the second of three Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX-III) program destroyers being built by the Republic of Korea; the ship was commissioned in August 2010. The first KDX-III destroyer, Sejong the Great, deployed in 2009. At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons fully loaded, these destroyers are the largest surface warships carrying the Aegis Combat System.

The Aegis system includes Lockheed Martin's SPY-1 radar, the Navy's most advanced multi-function radar system. When paired with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare.

The Aegis Combat System is deployed on more than 100 ships around the globe. In addition to the U.S. and the Republic of Korea, Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway and Spain. Aegis-equipped ships have more than 1,200 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,800 missiles in tests and real-world operations.

Aegis Gets A European Translation

Systems on one of its De Zeven Provinciën class frigates so that it can fire SM-3 Block IB anti-missile missiles. The frigate's SMART-L and APAR radars would, like their Aegis counterparts on American warships, spot incoming missiles and guide the SM-3 to an interception. This project would produce the first European warship equipped to knock down ballistic missiles.

The 6,000 ton De Zeven Provinciën class frigates normally carry 32 SM-2 Block III anti-aircraft missiles. Some of these can be replaced with SM-3s. This anti-missile missile is also known as the RIM-161A. Usually it is just called the Standard Missile 3 (or SM-3). It has a range of over 500 kilometers and max altitude of over 160 kilometers. The Standard 3 is based on the anti-missile version of the Standard 2 (SM-2 Block IV). This SM-2 version turned out to be effective against shorter range ballistic missiles. One test saw a SM-2 Block IV missile destroy a warhead that was only 19 kilometers up. An SM-3 missile can destroy a warhead that is more than 200 kilometers up. But the SM-3 is only good for anti-missile work, while the SM-2 Block IV can be used against both ballistic missiles and aircraft. The SM-2 Block IV also costs less than half what an SM-3 costs.

The SM-3 has four stages. The first two boost the interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each motor firing it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching the target. The fourth stage is the 9 kg (20 pound) LEAP kill vehicle, which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it.

The SM-3 was originally developed to operate on warships using the American Aegis radar and fire control system. To use the SM-3, the Aegis warships were equipped with the special software that enabled the AEGIS radar system to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles. Thales, which designed and installed similar (to Aegis) radar and fire control systems in European warships was able to modify these systems to handle the longer range SM-3 anti-missile missiles.

Iran to Unveil Several Home-Made Destroyers, Missile Frigates Soon

Iran will soon unveil 10 types of home-made naval vessels, including different classes of destroyers and missile-launching frigates, a senior Iranian Navy commander announced on Tuesday.

           

Speaking to FNA on Tuesday, Lieutenant Commander of the Navy for Technical Affairs Rear Admiral Abbas Zamini reminded that the designing and building of Jamaran destroyer, a Mowdge 1 Class vessel, showed Iran's high technical know-how and capabilities in manufacturing battleships, and added that the country is already manufacturing a second generation of the hi-tech vessel.

The construction phase of Velayat destroyer, a Mowdge 2 Class vessel, is 70% through, he said, and added that the vessel is under construction in Iran's Northern port city of Bandar Anzali.

The admiral declared that Velayat will be launched this Iranian year (ends on March 2013).

"In addition" the commander stated "construction of other Mowdge and Sina-class destroyers are underway including Mowdge 3 and 4 projects."

He further announced that construction of a Mowdge 5 class destroyer, named Sahand, will end in the near future, and the Navy vessel will be launched this year.

The Admiral noted the manufacture of Sina-class missile-launching frigates, and said that construction of three classes of this Navy vessel is on Iran's agenda.

He also mentioned that the Iranian defense ministry and the Navy are working on four projects to build four different classes of warships, and said the four projects are called Sina 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Iran's first home-made destroyer, Jamaran, was launched in late February 2010. The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around 14,000 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities and is armed with a variety of anti-ship, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.

Jamaran is also equipped with different kinds of weapons, including a powerful and smart missile named 'Nour' (light).

‘South Korea won't object to Japan's Aegis destroyers in nearby waters’

‘South Korea won`t object to Japan`s Aegis destroyers in nearby waters’ Seoul: South Korea will not oppose Japan's deployment of Aegis destroyers to waters near the Yellow Sea, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday, citing a high-ranking official at the South Korean Presidential office.

The official, cited by the Chosun Ilbo, said the South Korean government believes guaranteeing navigational freedom on the high seas near the Yellow Sea, known to Koreans as the West Sea, coincides with South Korea's security interests.

Instability in North Korea since the death of its previous leader Kim Jong Il has led to greater awareness In South Korea of the need to bolster military cooperation with the United States and Japan.

The United States has been urging South Korea for years to bolster military ties with Japan, and South Korea expects closer military ties with Japan would help with intelligence gathering about North Korea. "Japan has twice as many Aegis destroyers as we do," the report said. "The intelligence data they gather from the West Sea could be of great use."

Japan's plan to deploy the destroyers with the aim of better detecting North Korea's missile movements raised some concerns in South Korea. Some fear of a possible backlash from China, while others are not keen to see naval ships of Japan, former colonizer, being close to South Korea.

South Korea appears to have decided that the deployment could usefully counter any attempts by China to control those waters during an emergency on the Korean Peninsula and would guarantee better access for the South Korean and US navies.

"US naval vessels are the most likely foreign ships to enter the West Sea in an emergency," the official was quoted as saying.