View source for Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer

{{short description|Class of South Korean destroyers}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = 2009년5월15일 해군 1함대훈련 (7193824738).jpg
| Ship caption = ROKS ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' underway at sea in 2009
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class
| Builders = [[Daewoo]] Heavy Industries Co., [[Okpo, Geoje]]
| Operators = *{{navy|South Korea}}
*{{naval|Thailand}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Gangwon|destroyer|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin|destroyer|4}}
| Subclasses = {{sclass|Bhumibol Adulyadej|frigate|1}}
| Cost = 
| Built range = 1994–2000
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 1998–present
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 12
| Total ships completed = 3
| Total ships cancelled = 9
| Total ships active = 3
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Destroyer]] or [[Frigate]]
| Ship displacement = {{convert|3885|-|3900|t|LT|0}} full load
| Ship length = {{convert|135.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|14.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|4.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship depth = 
| Ship propulsion = *2 × [[General Electric LM2500|General Electric LM2500-30]] gas turbines
*2 × [[SsangYong Motor Company]] 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines
*2 shafts
| Ship speed = {{convert|30|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|4500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|18|kn|abbr=on}}
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship complement = 286
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = * [[AN/SPS-49]](V) 2D air search radar
* Signaal MW 08 surface search radar
* Daewoo SPS-95k navigation radar
* 2 × [[STIR (radar)|Signaal STIR 180 Fire control radar]]s
* ATLAS DSQS-21BZ Hull mounted sonar
| Ship EW = * SLQ-25 [[SLQ-25 Nixie|Nixie]] towed torpedo decoy
* ARGOSystems AR 700 and APECS 2 ECM
* 4 × CSEE DAGAIE MK 2 Chaff Launchers
| Ship armament = * 1 × [[Otobreda 127/54 Compact|OTO Melara 127 mm (5 inch)/54 gun]]
* 2 × [[Signaal]] 30 mm [[Goalkeeper CIWS]]
* 8 × [[Harpoon missile]] in quad canisters
* 1 × Mk 48 Mod 2 VLS with 16 [[Sea Sparrow|RIM-7P Sea Sparrow missiles]]
* 2 × triple torpedo tubes for [[Mark 46 torpedo]]
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 2 × [[Westland Lynx|Super Lynx]] helicopters
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
The '''''Gwanggaeto the Great''-class''' destroyers ({{Korean|hangul=광개토대왕급 구축함|hanja=廣開土大王級 驅逐艦}}), often called '''KDX-I''', are [[destroyer]]s, but are classified by some as [[frigate]]s,<ref>{{cite news
 | title = Korea's KDX-III AEGIS Destroyers
 | date = 2008-12-02
 | website = Defense Industry Daily
 | url = http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/drs-wins-multiplexing-contract-for-korean-aegis-destroyers-0431/#more-431
 | access-date = 2008-12-03
}}
</ref> operated by the [[Republic of Korea Navy]]. It was the first phase of [[ROKN]]'s [[Korean Destroyer eXperimental|KDX]] program, in moving the ROK Navy from a coastal defence force to a [[blue-water navy]].

==Development==
The KDX-I was designed to replace the old destroyers in the ROKN that were transferred from the [[US Navy]] in the 1950s and 1960s. It was thought to be a major turning point for the ROKN in that the launching of the first KDX-I meant that ROKN finally had a capability to project power far from its shores. After the launching of the ship, there was a massive boom in South Korean international participation against piracy and [[military operations other than war]].{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==Description==
[[Image:Republic_of_Korea_Destroyers_Yi_(DDG_975)_and_Euljimundok_(DDG_972).jpg|thumb|left|300px|ROKS ''Eulji Mundeok'' (DDH-972) rafted next to ROKS ''Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin'' (DDH-975) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during RIMPAC 2004]]

===Weapon systems===
The primary weapon deployed by ''Gwanggaeto the Great''-class vessels is the Super Lynx helicopter, which acts in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. The ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class also carries a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedoes, launched from triple torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar. A secondary anti-shipping role is supported by the [[RGM-84 Harpoon]] surface-to-surface missile, mounted in two quadruple launch tubes at the main deck level between the funnel and the helicopter hangar. For anti-aircraft self-defense, the ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class carries 16 RIM-7P [[Sea Sparrow]]. The ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class also carries two 30mm [[Goalkeeper CIWS|Goalkeeper]] to provide a shipboard point-defense against incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The main gun on the [[forecastle]] is an [[Otobreda 127/54 Compact|OTO Melara 127]] gun.

===Propulsion===
The ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class is powered by two [[General Electric LM2500|General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines]] and two SsangYong 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines. The ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots.

==Construction==
All ''Gwanggaeto the Great''-class destroyers were built by the [[Daewoo]] Heavy Industries Co., Inc. at [[Geoje]], [[South Korea]]. In 1989, Daewoo Heavy Industries began working on the 4,000-ton destroyer which is now the secondary destroyer of the Korean navy, and the achievement was made through DSME's 100% design engineering for the first time in Korea.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The keel of the first ship was planned to have been laid down in late 1992 and the ship was planned to be completed in 1996. But due to definition studies that lasted until late 1993, the construction of the first ship did not started until April 1994 with the first steel cutting at Daewoo shipyard in [[Okpo, Geoje|Okpo]].<ref name="s09p463">{{harvnb|Saunders|2009|p=463}}</ref>

==Modernisation/Mid-Life Update==
It was reported on April 27, 2016, that the KDX-1 class will undergo a limited mid-life upgrade at a cost of 67.41 billion won, aimed at replacing obsolete foreign equipment. The original command and control system (BAeSEMA SSCS Mk-7 combat management system) was replaced with Hanwha System's combat management system (likely Naval Shield ICMS), the installation of a domestic Towed Array Sonar System (TASS, likely from MteQ), LINK-16 and general equipment overhaul.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Daehan |title=Second KDX-I Destroyer Delivered To ROK Navy Following PIP |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/11/second-kdx-i-destroyer-delivered-to-rok-navy-following-pip/ |access-date= 9 July 2022 |work=Naval News |date=November 2, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

The first vessel, ROKS ''Yang Man-chun'' completed the upgrade in September 2020 at DSME,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vavasseur |first1=Xavier |title=South Korea's DSME Delivers First KDX-I To ROK Navy Following PIP |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/09/south-koreas-dsme-delivers-first-kdx-i-to-rok-navy-following-pip/ |access-date= 9 July 2022 |work=Naval News |date=September 10, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> while the second vessel, ROKS ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' completed the upgrade in November 2021 and the final vessel, ROKS ''Ulchi Mundok'' completed the upgrade in December 2021.

==Ships in the class==
{|class=wikitable
! Name || Pennant number || Builder || Launched || Delivered || Commissioned || Status
|-
|{{ROKS|Gwanggaeto the Great|DDH-971|6}}
|DDH-971
|[[Daewoo Heavy Industries]]
|28 October 1996
|
|24 July 1998
|Active
|-
|{{ROKS|Eulji Mundeok|DDH-972|6}}
|DDH-972
|Daewoo Heavy Industries
|16 October 1997
|
|30 August 1999
|Active
|-
|{{ROKS|Yang Man-chun|DDH-973|6}}
|DDH-973
|Daewoo Heavy Industries
|30 September 1998
|
|29 June 2000
|Active
|-
|}

==''Bhumibol Adulyadej'' class==
[[File:HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (48044316051) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (FFG 471)]]
{{main|Bhumibol Adulyadej class frigate}}

The {{sclass|Bhumibol Adulyadej|frigate|1}} is a modification of the ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class for the [[Royal Thai Navy]]. It differs from the ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' class with the addition of stealth features.<ref name="bp12192018">{{cite news |last1=Nanuamy |first1=Wassana |title=Navy prepares to receive new ship |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1596610/navy-prepares-to-receive-new-ship |access-date=18 December 2019 |work=Bangkok Post |date=December 19, 2018}}</ref><ref name="fm">{{cite news |last1=Voytenko |first1=Mikhail |title=Thai Navy News – new frigate, another one postponed, submarine keel laying ceremony |url=https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2019/27521/thai-navy-news-new-frigate-another-one-postponed-s/ |access-date=18 December 2019 |work=FleetMon |date=October 26, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* {{ship|HTMS|Bhumibol Adulyadej}} (Active)
* HTMS ''Prasae'' (Postponed)

== See also ==
* [[List of naval ship classes in service]]
* [[List of active Republic of Korea Navy ships]]
* [[Korean Destroyer eXperimental]]

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==

* {{cite book |editor-last=Saunders |editor-first=Stephan |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-7106-2888-6}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyer}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060206065112/http://www.navy.mil.kr:8005/index.jsp ROKN Navy website on KDX-I] 
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/kdx-1.htm Globalsecurity on KDX-I]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060207031608/http://www.powercorea.com/ship_KD1.htm Powercorea on KDX-I]

{{Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer|state=expanded}}
{{Republic of Korea Navy ships}}

[[Category:Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers| ]]
[[Category:Destroyer classes]]