Euronaval 2022: Hyundai Heavy Industries displays CVX aircraft carrier.

The Euronaval 2022 exhibition is being held from 18 to 21 October at the Paris-Le Bourget exhibition centre. On this occasion, Hyundai Heavy Industries is displaying the CVX aircraft carrier.

Model of the CVX aircraft carrier on HHI's booth, Paris. (Picture source: Navy Recognition)

The CVX (formerly known as LPX-II) is a class of aircraft carriers currently under development for the Republic of Korea Navy. The class is follow-on from the previous Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships which prioritized amphibious capability while the CVX will be designed for fixed wing and rotary wing operations instead, constituting a traditional aircraft carrier.

The planned development of the class was formally announced and funded as part of the 2020~2024 Mid-Term Defense Plan, published in December 2020.

Unlike the preceding Dokdo class, the CVX will not feature a well deck for amphibious assault craft. Instead, internal space will be dedicated to aircraft storage and maintenance. The flight deck will be of an axial design rather than using a ski-jump (used by other F-35B jet aircraft operators except for the United States Navy).

The CVX will be one of the few aircraft carriers in the world to feature two islands. The UK defense corporation Babcock International has been providing support to the CVX program and is a possible explanation for the twin-island design as Babcock led the development of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier program for the Royal Navy.

The Republic of Korea government has stated that the sensor and weapons fit for the CVX will be developed domestically and the ship will feature a multi-function radar (MFR) for ballistic missile defence (BMD). The same system will be used about the next generation destroyer for the Republic of Korea Navy (KDDX).