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South Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries launched the first AOE-II 10,000-ton fast combat support ship for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROK Navy) during a ceremony held today in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The new combat support vessel will be delivered to the ROK Navy next year following sea trials. It is expected to become operational in the first half of 2018.
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The new class of support ship "will further support the ROK Navy's operations at home and abroad," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Um Hyun-seong said. Compared to the AOE-I class, the AOE-II class has an improved maneuvering speed and its loading ability is improved by more than 2.3 times.
Named "Soyang", the new vessel is capable of carrying 11,050 tons of stores. It will be the second-largest ship in the ROK Navy fleet after the 14,500-ton Dokdo LHD. The new vessel is 190 meters in length, has a beam of 25 meters and has a top speed of 24 knots.
The ship can accomodate helicopters and is fitted with close-in weapon systems and advanced countermeasures to deal with various threats.
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The Soyang fast combat support ship for the ROK Navy during the launch ceremony. ROK Navy picture.