South Korean Navy takes delivery of third KDX-III class Aegis destroyer

ROK (Republic of Korea) Navy took delivery of its third Aegis-equipped destroyer from the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on August 30 2012. South Korea launched the KDX-III program in 2004 to bolster its defense against North Korea. The first ship of the Sejong the Great ship class, was commissioned in December 2008 and the second ship of the class (Yulgok Yi I) was commissioned in August 2010.

The KDX-III destroyers measure 544 feet (165.9 meters) long, with a standard displacement of 8,500 tons, making them the largest ships using Aegis.

The Aegis Combat System is an advanced naval surface defense system and is the foundation for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense. Aegis can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines, and surface ships while
automatically implementing defenses to protect the fleet against aircraft and missiles by simultaneously tracking a thousand targets within a 500-kilomter radius.
In addition to the Aegis system, the KDX-III destroyers also feature Lockheed Martin’s SPY-1 radar and MK 41 Vertical Launching System. They can carry up to 120 missiles and torpedoes.

The Ryu Seong-ryong will be deployed for combat around mid-2013 after a nine-month trial period.