State arms agency, Hanwha Ocean ink final deal for 7.8 tril.-won Navy destroyer project

Korea's state arms procurement agency officially concluded a deal with Hanwha Ocean on Friday to kick-start the development of a next-generation Navy destroyer, with the aim of delivering the lead ship to the Navy by 2032. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it inked the deal with Hanwha Ocean on detailed planning and construction of the lead ship for the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) program. Under the 7.8 trillion-won ($5.4 billion) project, South Korea plans to develop six 7,000-ton-class Aegis destroyers, equipped with key weapons systems, such as combat and sonar systems, developed from homegrown technology. With the deal concluded, the defense firm will draw up detailed designs of the envisioned destroyers and assess their operational capabilities, according to DAPA. The move comes nearly a month after Hanwha Ocean beat rival HD Hyundai Heavy Industries as the preferred bidder for the development project by 0.59 point. The project was delayed by over two years as competition between the two firms intensified, even leading to a legal battle, which culm