South Korea will develop close-in weapon system for its warship's fleet.

South Korea decided Tuesday to develop an indigenous close-in weapon system (CIWS) for its warships by 2030. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the defence project promotion committee approved the 350 billion won ($283.51 million) project that will be launched next year.
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30mm Goalkeeper CIWS on ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992) (Picture source: WarshipPorn)

According to the DAPA, the new weapon is expected to be mounted on the country's major naval ships, including its 6,000-ton class destroyers, which have been built under the Korean Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) project, and 3,000-ton Batch-III Ulsan-class frigates.

About Close-In Weapon Systems:

A close-in weapon system is a point-defence weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defences, typically mounted shipboard in a naval capacity. Nearly all classes of larger modern warships are equipped with some kind of CIWS device.

There are two types of CIWS systems. A gun-based CIWS usually consists of a combination of radars, computers, and rapid-firing multiple-barrel rotary cannons placed on a rotating turret. Missile-based CIWSs use infra-red, passive radar/ESM or semi-active radar terminal guidance to guide missiles to the targeted enemy aircraft or other threats. In some cases, CIWS are used on land to protect military bases. In this case, the CIWS can also protect the base from shell and rocket fire. Currently, South Korea uses the US CIWS system.

Artist rendering of ton FFX Batch III frigate (Picture source: Hyundai Heavy Industries)

About the Batch-III Ulsan-class frigates:

The Ulsan-class frigate is a class of multi-purpose guided missile frigates built by the Republic of Korea. They are presently in service with the Republic of Korea Navy and the Bangladesh Navy.

The Ulsan class is a light frigate built by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. The frigates are 103.7 metres (340 ft 3 in) in length with a top speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) and range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).

About the FFX Batch III:

The FFX Batch III will displace 3,000 tons and feature a phased array radar. The ship combat system will consist of a combat management system, a multi-functional phase array radar, an IRST (Infrared Searcher and Tracker), an EOTS (Electro-Optical Targeting System), and an integrated sensor mast. One of the biggest improvement over the previous FFX-I Incheon-class and FFX-II Daegu-class vessels will be a larger VLS package.

The unit will have a hybrid propulsion system design to avoid submarine's detection. It will also be able to operate at high speeds using gas turbine in case of emergency, the shipbuilder added.