By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin of the United States plan to build a medium-sized Aegis-class warship for export following their successful joint development of the KDX-III Aegis destroyer for the South Korean Navy, company officials said Tuesday.

The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of a 4,000- to 6,000-ton Aegis-class warship last year, they said.

``Both companies have been consulting on ways of building a high-tech medium-size Aegis destroyer mixed with Hyundai's shipbuilding technology and Lockheed's Aegis Combat System,'' an official of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said.

The first export target is India, seeking to introduce high-tech Aegis ships designed to track incoming missiles and shoot them down, the official said.

The Aegis combat system, built by Lockheed Martin, is the world's premier surface-to-air and fire-control system, capable of conducting simultaneous operations against aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, ships and submarines.

The Aegis weapon system includes the SPY-1 radar, the world's most advanced computer-controlled radar system. When paired with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare.

The envisaged Korea-U.S. medium-size Aegis ship for India will be equipped with SPY-1F radar, a modified version of the AN/SPY-1D radar system, according to the firms.

The Aegis system is currently deployed on more than 75 ships around the world, with more than 30 additional ships planned. In addition to the United States and Norway, Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Japan, Korea and Spain among other countries.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr