Navy rolls out new patrol killer boat

/Courtesy of Twitter

By Lee Han-soo

The South Korean Navy launched its new patrol killer medium rocket (PKMR) vessel on Thursday.

The 210-ton PKMR, the Chamsuri-211, will gradually replace the 20-year-old Chamsuri patrol boats now in service, the Navy said.

The new boat will serve as a deterrent and watchdog in the border region, including the Northern Limit Line.

The vessel is 44 meters long, seven meters wide and can reach a maximum speed of 40 knots (74 kilometer per hour). It has a crew of 20 sailors.

Armaments include 130-millimeter guided rockets, a 76-millimeter main cannon and two 12.7-millimeter radar-guided heavy machineguns.

The boat also has a missile defense system.

The vessel was launched at the Busan Hanjin Heavy Industry shipyard in Yeongdo, where it will undergo extensive sea trials before officially joining the fleet in the second half of 2017.

Mass production of the new PKMR is planned for 2019.