KDDX to be Korea's first electric-powered attack ship

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Wed, December 6, 2023 | 16:19

Defense

KDDX to be Korea's first electric-powered attack ship

Posted : 2023-05-14 16:53

Updated : 2023-05-15 16:27

From front, the Republic of Korea Navy Sejong the Great-class destroyer, the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and a Japanese Atago-class Aegis destroyer engage in a drill in the East Sea in this Feb. 22 photo. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

By Ko Dong-hwan

A design for the Korea Destroyer Next-Generation (KDDX) rendered by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2020 / Korea Times photo

The Republic of Korea Navy is set to possess the country's first electric-powered attack ship, a key asset for the national maritime force to wield in its move to secure future-orientated weapons and operation systems.

The 6,500-ton-displacement Korea Destroyer Next-Generation (KDDX) is now in its initial design stage and due for completion by the end of the year. It will be equipped with an electric power system, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the country's arms procurement agency, Sunday.

In 2020, Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries won the bid to build the ship.

The company said that it plans to complete and supply six KDDXs by 2036. The fleet will be an investment of about 6 trillion won ($4.4 billion), with specifications and detailed designs to follow the initial construction step, which will be decided starting next year.

Last month, representatives from DAPA reportedly visited a defense developer in the United States, where the two sides had discussions about ensuring the safety and reliability of the integrated electric propulsion system for the domestic combat ship.

The KDDX is expected to be similar to an electric vehicle, which receives moving force and operating power from an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine, as well as opting out of the traditional transmission gears system. Without the transmission system, the new ship will not only increase energy efficiency but also reduce unnecessary noise, a major hazard for an attack ship while it is engaged in a combat situation with enemy submarines.

Electricity isn't just about allowing the ship to move efficiently. It is expected to allow the ship to operate future weapon systems that require an extremely high level of voltage power like railguns or other laser-based weapons. Radar systems for the ship can also be maximized using the new power system.

The basic theory of the KDDX is that it self-supplies the required electricity generated by running a gas turbine generator jointly with a diesel generator. The generated power then not just turns the ship's propellers but also feeds the ship with its operating power source.

Stealth, a feature that will keep the ship under the enemy's radar, also wouldn't have been possible without an integrated mast, a key feature of the ship that comprehensively controls various onboard radars as well as providing other strategic functions. Also called I-Mast, it was created with only Korean technologies and works as the ship's detector and communication antenna, featuring functions including an active electronically scanned array (AESA), infrared search and track (IRST) and identification friend or foe (IFF).

Unlike a major number of attack ships currently on maritime missions, the KDDX won't use the Aegis Combat System (ACS), replacing it with a Korean one and dubbing the destroyer a "Korean mini-Aegis ship." ACS, now produced by U.S. defense developer Lockheed Martin, has been installed in over 100 ships in various navy fleets, including Korea's Sejong the Great-class destroyers as well as those from Japan, Spain, Norway and Australia.

aoshima11@koreatimes.co.kr