Better Than U.S. Navy Destroyers? South Korea Launches Its Most Powerful Surface Combat Ship

The second KDX-III Batch-II Jeongjo the Great class destroyer was on September 17 launched to serve in the Republic of Korea Navy, with the warship Dasan Jeong Yakyong boasting capabilities that are among the foremost of any surface combatant in the world. With a displacement of around 12,000 tons, the destroyer class is second only to the Chinese Type 055 class in size, and approximately 24 percent larger than U.S. Navy’s 9,700 ton Arleigh Burke class ships. Among the most notable features of the new ships is their use of a combination of U.S.-made Mk 41 and local KVLS and KVLS-II vertical launch systems, including 48 Mk 41 cells, 16 K-VLS cells, and 24 KVLS-II cells. Mk 41 cells are expected to accommodate SM-3 and SM-6 anti-ballistic missiles, the latter which is also capable of providing limited short range anti-shipping short. The KVLS meanwhile integrates shorter range indigenous surface-to-air missiles, while KVLS-II cells carry indigenous L-SAM long range surface-to-air missiles, and are expected to later accommodate ballistic missiles.

Powered by four gas turbine engines and two auxiliary propulsion systems, Jeongjo the Great class ships are heavily focused on ballistic missile defence, reflecting the challenges to South Korean security posed by North Korea’s vast and increasingly diverse and sophisticated ballistic missile arsenal. The KVLS and KVLS-II systems were designed to accommodate future generations of anti-ballistic missile interceptors, as South Korean industry gradually emerges as a world leader in anti-missile technologies with new interceptor classes planned. North Korea’s testing of missiles with hypersonic glide vehicles from 2021 has raised concerns that existing missile defences will be inadequate to provide a comprehensive defence, and posed significant new challenges to missile defence planning. The new warship is expected to undergo sea trials, before joining the Navy in late 2026. It is expected to be deployed with the Mobile Fleet Command. The Dasan Jeong Yakyong will strengthen the standing of the South Korean destroyer fleet, which is considered the fourth most capable in the world behind those of the United States, China and Japan.