ROK (Republic of Korea) Navy took delivery of its third Aegis-equipped
destroyer from the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration
(DAPA) on August 30 2012. South Korea launched the KDX-III program in
2004 to bolster its defense against North Korea. The first ship of the
Sejong the Great ship class, was commissioned in December 2008 and the
second ship of the class (Yulgok Yi I) was commissioned in August 2010.
The KDX-III destroyers measure 544 feet (165.9 meters) long, with a
standard displacement of 8,500 tons, making them the largest ships using
Aegis.
The Aegis Combat System is an advanced naval surface defense system
and is the foundation for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense. Aegis can
simultaneously attack land targets, submarines, and surface ships while
automatically implementing defenses to protect the fleet against aircraft
and missiles by simultaneously tracking a thousand targets within a
500-kilomter radius. |
