ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991) is the lead ship of the her class of guided missile destroyer built for the Republic of Korea Navy. She was the first Aegis-built destroyer of the service and was named after the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, Sejong the Great.[1]

ROKS Sejong the Great during the Busan International Fleet Review on 7 October 2008.
South Korea
Name	Sejong the Great (세종대왕/世宗大王)
Namesake	Sejong the Great
Builder	Hyundai
Launched	25 May 2007
Commissioned	22 December 2008
Identification	Pennant number: DDG-991
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Sejong the Great-class destroyer
Displacement	8,500 tons standard displacement 11,000 tons full load
Length	166 m (544 ft 7 in)
Beam	21.4 m (70 ft 3 in)
Draft	6.25 m (20 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	4 × General Electric LM2500 COGAG; 2 × shafts; 100,000 shp (75 MW) produced power
Speed	exceeds 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Endurance	30 days
Complement	300 crew
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPY-1D(V) multi-function radar AN/SPG-62 fire control radar DSQS-21BZ-M hull mounted sonar SQR-220K towed array sonar system Sagem Infrared Search & Track (IRST) system
Electronic warfare & decoys	LIG Nex1 SLQ-200K Sonata electronic warfare suite
Armament	1 × 5 inch (127 mm)/L62 caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun 1 × 30 mm Goalkeeper CIWS 1 × RAM Block 1 CIWS 16 × SSM-700K Haeseong Anti-ship Missiles 2 × triple torpedo tubes for K745 Blue Shark torpedo 80-cell Mk 41 VLS for SM-2 Block IIIB/IV 48-cell K-VLS for: K-ASROC Red Shark Hyunmoo III land attack cruise missiles
Aircraft carried	2 × Super Lynx or SH-60 Seahawk
Aviation facilities	Hangar and helipad

Background

The ship features the Aegis Combat System (Baseline 7 Phase 1) combined with AN/SPY-1D multi-function radar antennae.[1]

The Sejong the Great class is the third phase of the South Korean navy's Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX) program, a substantial shipbuilding program, which is geared toward enhancing ROKN's ability to successfully defend the maritime areas around South Korea from various modes of threats as well as becoming a blue-water navy.[2]

At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load, the KDX-III Sejong the Great destroyers are by far the largest destroyers in the South Korean Navy, and indeed are larger than most destroyers in the navies of other countries.[3] and built slightly bulkier and heavier than Arleigh Burke-class destroyers or Atago-class destroyers to accommodate 32 more missiles. As such, some analysts believe that this class of ships is more appropriately termed a class of cruisers rather than destroyers.[4] KDX-III are currently the largest ships to carry the Aegis combat system.[5]

Construction and career

ROKS Sejong the Great was launched on 25 May 2007 by Hyundai Heavy Industries. She was commissioned into the ROK Navy on 22 December 2008.

RIMPAC Exercise

Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) has actively participated in the recent iterations of the RIMPAC, which is a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships. On 23 June 2010, ROKS Sejong the Great participated in RIMPAC 2010.[6]

She again participated in 2016 RIMPAC exercises along with ROKS Kang Gam-chan, and submarine ROKS Lee Eokgi of the ROKN.

Sejong the Great again participated in RIMPAC 2022.[7]

Gallery

• ROKS Sejong the Great Gallery
• 
  ROKS Sejong the Great arriving in Pearl Harbor during RIMPAC 2010.
• 
  ROKS Sejong the Great during RIMPAC 2010.
• 
  ROKS Sejong the Great alongside USS Chosin during RIMPAC 2010.
• 
  ROKS Sejong the Great during RIMPAC 2010.
• 
  ROKS Sejong the Great alongside USS McClusky and HMCS Algonquin during RIMPAC 2010.

References