TSAMTO, January 24. A contract has been signed for the construction of the second URO FFX-3 frigate for the Republic of Korea Navy. As planned, the ship will be delivered to the customer in 2026.
The South Korean shipbuilding company Samkang M&T announced the conclusion of the contract. The cost of the initial contract signed with the Defense Procurement Programs Agency (DAPA) The INR of the Republic of Korea is 33.5 billion. won (about $30.2 million).
According to the head of Samkang M&T, Mu Seok Son, the company has acquired enough technology for the construction of warships and has already delivered 10 patrol ships for the Coast Guard of the Republic of Korea.
Built by Samkang M&T, the frigate will be one of six 3,500-ton Ulsan-class ships of the third series (also known as FFX Batch III) to be built for the Republic of Korea Navy.
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed a contract for the development of a draft design of the Ulsan Batch-III frigate in 2016 and signed an agreement for the "detailed design and construction" of the first ship last year.
As reported by TSAMTO, in December 2016, DAPA announced the signing of a contract with HHI for the planning of the construction and development of a draft design of six new frigates as part of the third phase of the FFX (Future Frigate Experimental) program. The contract value was 16.6 billion. won ($13.8 million). The total cost of the six new frigates is tentatively estimated at 2.8 trillion won. According to the original schedule, it was planned to complete their delivery by 2026. As expected, the ships will have enhanced capabilities to combat submarines and provide air defense.
In March 2020, DAPA signed a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries worth 400 billion. won ($330 million) for the development of a working project and the construction of the FFX-3 class URO head frigate by 2024.
DAPA stated that the FFX-3 ships will be built using stealth technologies to increase survivability, equipped with a fixed multifunctional radar with a phased array antenna providing a circular view, which can simultaneously detect and accompany potential threats. The ship with a length of 129 m and a maximum width of 15 m will receive a hybrid power plant with a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engine and will be able to reach a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Samkang M&T is one of the leading ship repair companies in the Republic of Korea, which in 2017 acquired the shipyard of the bankrupt company STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.