As reported by Naval News, the basic design’s completion was announced on the 27th of December, 2023. The contract for basic design for KDDX was awarded to HHI by DAPA three years ago.
KDDX or KDX-IV is the follow-up to ROK’s KDX-III (Sejong The Great-class destroyers) programme, consisting of a new destroyer with a higher ratio of indigenous systems. The total cost of the KDDX program is expected to be $5.8 billion, and six destroyers will be delivered by 2036.
KDDX, expected to reach a displacement of 9000 tons, will use Korean-made systems such as KVLS-I/II vertical launch systems, L-SAM family of long-range air defence missiles, CIWS-II 30 mm close-in weapon system, and dual-band multi-function AESA radar.
Additionally, KDDX will be the first surface combatant in the ROK’s Navy to use Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP). IEP is a new type of propulsion where gas turbines and diesel engines work as generators only, powering all systems of the ship, including electric engines, radars, and weapons. IEP system is used on the USN’s Zumwalt-class destroyers and the U.K.’s Type 45 destroyers.
Hahnwa and U.S.-based GE-Aerospace are jointly developing KDDX’s IEP propulsion. The generators include two gas turbines and three diesel engines.
HHI Completes Basic Design of KDDX Destroyers
