ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great (DDH-971) is the lead ship of the Gwanggaeto the Great-class in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after Gwanggaeto the Great.[1]

ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great on 1 January 2012
History
South Korea
Name	Gwanggaeto the Great (광개토대왕)
Namesake	Gang Gam-chan
Builder	DSME
Launched	23 October 1996
Commissioned	24 July 2008
Identification	Pennant number: DDH-971
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer
Displacement	3,885–3,900 tonnes (3,824–3,838 long tons) full load
Length	135.5 m (444 ft 7 in)
Beam	14.2 m (46 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines 2 × SsangYong Motor Company 20V 956 TB 82 diesel engines 2 shafts
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement	286
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-49(V) 2D air search radar Signaal MW 08 surface search radar Daewoo SPS-95k navigation radar 2 × Signaal STIR 180 Fire control radars ATLAS DSQS-21BZ Hull mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy ARGOSystems AR 700 and APECS 2 ECM 4 × CSEE DAGAIE MK 2 Chaff Launchers
Armament	1 × 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 RIM-7P Sea Sparrow missiles 2 × triple torpedo tubes for Mark 46 torpedo

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.[2]

Construction and career

ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great was launched on 28 October 1996 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and commissioned on 24 July 1998.[3]

Gallery

• ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great Gallery
• 
  ROKS Munmu The Great and ROKS Kwanggaeto The Great lighted ship's lights to celebrate the July 4th Independence Day 2006.
• 
  ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great maneuvering while on patrol on 25 October 2013.
• 
  ROKS Gang Gam-chan, ROKS Gwangaetto the Great and USS Chung Hoon in formation during Foal Eagle 2016 on 24 March 2016.

References