ROKN MUNMU THE GREAT

The Navy on 11 April 2003 launched its second 4,500-ton destroyer “Munmu the Great” a domestically produced warship utilizing state-of-the-art stealth technology. A launching ceremony was held at Hyundai Heavy Industries dockyard in Ulsan with the attendance of President Roh Moo-hyun, Defense Minister Cho Young-kil and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Moon Jung-il. “The grand spectacle of `Moonmu the Great’ symbolizes the nation's military science technology and its willingness to be self-reliant in national defense,” President Roh said in his commemorative speech. “(From here) we will be able to advance into the era of 7,000-ton destroyers with the Aegis combat system.” The vessel, the second of the Navy’s three KDX-II warships, is 150 meters long and 17.4 meters wide. It carries Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SM-II and RAM anti-aircraft missiles, and LYNX anti-submarine helicopters.
In particular, its improved stealth and anti-submarine functions are designed to ensure modern warfare capabilities, officials said. Its maximum speed is 29 knots and its cruising speed is 18 knots. The destroyer, which was to be deployed in 2004 after a year of test operations, was named after a king in the 7th century of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D.935). The tomb of the Munmu the Great is the only underwater royal grave in the world.
The government plans to build a mobile naval fleet by 2012, which ultimately consist of six 4,200-ton destroyers, three 7,000-ton destroyers with Aegis combat system and other submarines and combat support vessels. As of mid-2004 the ROK government was considering expanding the KD-2 fleet to a class of up to 12 ships, up from the original 3. Daewoo almost certainly get the contract for this expansion, if approved.

Notes of Interest:
Builder: Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI)
Length: 150 meters
Beam: 17 meters
Draft meters
Displacement: 4,800-5,000 tons full load
Propulsion: CODOG
Endurance: miles @ knots
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 200 crew
Armament: 1 32-cell Mk 41 VLS, 1 Mk45 Mod4 gun, 1 RAM, A®1 Goalkeeper, 8 SSMs, + Space reserved for land-attack cruise missiles
Systems: AN/SPS-49(V)5, MW.08, 2 STIR 240 with Raytheon OT-134A CWI transmitters bolted on, DSQ-23 sonar
Aircraft: pad and hanger for Super Lynx