Incheon-class
Summary
| Origin country | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Category | Frigate |
| Subtype | Guided-missile frigate |
| Manufacturer | Hyundai Heavy Industries |
| Year commissioned | 2013 |
| Units |
811 (인천 (仁川)) Incheon 812 (경기 (京畿)) Gyeonggi 813 (전북 (全北)) Jeonbuk 815 (강원 (江原)) Gangwon 816 (충북 (忠北)) Chungbuk 817 (광주 (光州)) Gwangju |
Operators
Technical specifications
| Displacement | 3300 tons |
| Range | 4500 km at 18 knots |
| Crew | 140 members |
| Width | 14.0 m (45.9 ft) |
| Length | 114.0 m (374.0 ft) |
| Air Park | |
| Propulsion | CODOG: 2 × MTU 12V 1163 TB83 diesel engine, 2 × GE LM2500 gas turbine |
| Armament |
|
| Maximum speed | 30 knots |
Description
The Incheon-class frigate, developed under the Future Frigate eXperimental (FFX) program, is a class of coastal defense vessels operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. The program originated from the "Frigate 2000" plan in the early 1990s, which was deferred following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The project was revived in the early 2000s to replace decommissioned Gearing-class destroyers and the aging fleet of Ulsan-class frigates and Pohang-class corvettes. Following planning revisions in 2008, the South Korean government moved forward with a first batch of six ships. Hyundai Heavy Industries and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding conducted the construction of the series.
The class utilizes a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. The design incorporates the Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System and a sensor suite including the SPS-550K air search radar, SPG-540K fire control radar, and SQS-240K hull-mounted sonar. For electronic warfare and defense, the vessels are equipped with the LIG Nex1 SLQ-200(V)K Sonata suite, torpedo acoustic counter measures, and KDAGAIE Mk 2 decoy launchers. The Incheon class features a flight deck and an enclosed hangar for the operation of one medium-lift helicopter, such as the Super Lynx or AW159. Primary armament includes a Mk 45 naval gun, Phalanx and RAM point-defense systems, and Blue Shark torpedoes. Anti-ship capability is provided by Haeseong missiles. In 2016, the Republic of Korea Navy began retrofitting Batch I ships with tactical ship-to-land attack missiles derived from the Haeseong airframe.
Six vessels were commissioned into the Republic of Korea Navy between 2013 and 2016. The lead ship, ROKS Incheon, was launched in 2011 and entered service in 2013. Subsequent ships include the Gyeonggi, Jeonbuk, Gangwon, Chungbuk, and Gwangju. These vessels are used for coastal patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and transport support. The class is succeeded by the Daegu-class frigate, which was developed as the FFX Batch II. A variant of the design, the Jose Rizal class, was exported to the Philippines following a 2016 contract. Israel also considered a joint-construction variant of the class in 2012.