TSAMTO, December 3. As the resource reported Navalnews.com At the end of November, the South Korean shipbuilding company Kangnam Corporation handed over to the command of the Republic of Korea Navy the fourth Yangyang-class minesweeper, named Namhae.
The lead ship of the first batch, the Yangyang, was put into service in 1999. The second and third ships ("Ongjin" and "Hanam") were delivered in October 2003 and 2004, respectively. The contract for the construction of the second batch of three minesweepers of the improved project was signed in November 2010. Their construction began in 2011.
As reported by TSAMTO, the Namhe, which was put into service (MSH-575), is the first vessel of the second batch of three Yangyang-class minesweepers ordered by the Republic of Korea Navy in November 2010.
Namhae was launched at Kangnam Corporation in Busan on April 14, 2020. The second ship of the second batch, the Hongseong, was launched in September 2020, and the third, the Goseong, was launched on March 15, 2021. According to DAPA, the second and third ships of the series are currently undergoing sea trials and will soon be transferred to the Navy of the Republic of Korea.
The length of the Yangyang-class minesweeper is 59.4 m, width is 10.5 m, displacement is 920 tons. The ship is armed with machine guns, a 20-mm cannon and equipped with means to neutralize sea mines.
As stated, the ships of the second batch will have improved mine search and mine clearance capabilities compared to the minesweepers already in service. The South Korean company SONARTECH has confirmed that it has supplied a multipath gas (Seaview 400M) for Namhae.
To protect the ship from magnetic mines, its hull is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, which, in addition, lasts longer than commonly used materials. The amount of metal equipment on board is minimized, the ship is equipped with mine detection gas, disposable and reusable underwater vehicles for searching and neutralizing mines.