Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
21h ago

South Korea Launches Second KDX-III Batch-II Aegis Destroyer ‘Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’

The 8,200-ton ship moves into trials, reinforcing Seoul’s sea-based missile defense.

Launch ceremony for ROKS Dasan Jeong Yak-yong. HD HHI picture.
This photo, taken Sept. 17, 2025, shows a launch ceremony for a new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer, named the Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, that took place at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southern city of Ulsan, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back delivers a congratulatory message at a launch ceremony for a new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer, named the Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, on Sept. 17, 2025, at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southern city of Ulsan, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • HD Hyundai Heavy Industries launched the 8,200-ton Dasan Jeong Yak-yong in Ulsan on Sept. 17, the second of three KDX-III Batch-II destroyers.
  • The Navy and DAPA say the ship will serve as a core asset of a maritime-based three-axis deterrence centered on countering missile and submarine threats.
  • The Aegis-equipped vessel is slated to field SM-6 interceptors and is expected to carry SM-3 for high-altitude ballistic missile defense.
  • Anti-submarine capabilities include a domestically developed integrated sonar and facilities for MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
  • Outfitting and sea trials precede delivery by late 2026, after which it would become the Navy’s fifth Aegis destroyer and join the Task Fleet Command, with Korea–U.S. cooperation highlighted by a new HHI–HII production MOU.