ROKS Iri explained

ROKS Iri (PCC-768) was a of the Republic of Korea Navy. Renamed ROKS Iksan in 1999. She was decommissioned and donated to the Colombian Navy under the name ARC Almirante Tono (CM-56) in 2016.

Development and design

See main article: Pohang-class corvette. The Pohang class is a series of corvettes built by different Korean shipbuilding companies. The class consists of 24 ships and some after decommissioning were sold or given to other countries. There are five different types of designs in the class from Flight II to Flight VI.^[1]

Construction and career

Iri was launched on 24 March 1987 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan. The vessel was commissioned in September 1988. She was renamed Iksan in February 1999 and decommissioned on 31 December 2018. While in reserve at Jinhae on 28 September 2020, she was donated to Colombian Navy.^{[2] [3]}

On 24 November 2020, she arrived in Cartagena with a new name ARC Almirante Tono (CM-56).^[4]

She was commissioned and christened on 6 January 2021. On 15 January, she began her first task on patrol to San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Pohang (PCC Patrol Combat Corvette). 2021-01-10. www.globalsecurity.org.
2. Web site: ARC Almirante Tono Commissions at Jinhae – SeaWaves Magazine. 2021-01-31. en-US.
3. Web site: Vavasseur. Xavier. 2020-10-04. Colombian Navy's Pohang-class Corvette Begins Journey to Colombia. 2021-01-31. Naval News. en-US.
4. Web site: Maiden Arrival in Cartagena for ARC Almirante Tono – SeaWaves Magazine. 2021-01-31. en-US.
5. Book: Martínez Salazar, Luis Guillermo. Las otras islas. San Andrés, Providencia & Santa Catalina. December 2020. Universidad del Magdalena. 10.21676/9789587463569. 978-958-746-356-9.