Lockheed Martin‘s [LMT] 94th Aegis System entered active service Monday under the flag of the fifth nation to join the worldwide Aegis fleet – the Republic of Korea (ROK), the company said.
DDG 991, Sejong the Great, the ROK’s first of three Aegis-equipped KDX-III destroyers, was built and tested at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan, Korea and commissioned in Pusan, completing an on-time, on-budget first-of-class delivery. Sejong the Great completed its combat system test program ahead of schedule and the system was accepted by the Republic of Korea Navy on Nov. 7, according to Lockheed Martin.
The second ship of the class, Yulgok Yi I, was launched Nov. 15 at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in Okpo, Korea, Lockheed Martin added.
Like each of the other six classes of Aegis-equipped ships, KDX-III includes indigenous and global systems to support unique mission areas. The combat system for Sejong the Great integrates 11 systems from Korean industry and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), as well as elements from global suppliers in France, Germany, Norway, Spain and The Netherlands. Lockheed Martin worked in partnership with Samsung Thales Corporation, Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, and Navantia Sistemas to produce the full command and control system for the KDX-III class, Lockheed Martin said.