ROKS Jeongjo the Great (DDG-995) is the fourth ship the of the of guided missile destroyers built for the Republic of Korea Navy, and the first of four KDX III Batch II ships to be built. She is the fourth Aegis-built destroyer of the service and was named after the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, Jeongjo of Joseon.[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] The Batch II ships of the KDX III are based on the first three ships of the Sejong the Great class, with improved sensors and armament.[3]
Unlike the existing Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers, Jeongjo the Great is equipped with the newer Aegis Combat System Baseline 9.C2 ‘KII’ combined with AN/SPY-1D(V) multi-function radar antennae.[4] This will allow the Batch II ships to use the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 and RIM-174 Standard Missile 6, in addition to the ROK Navy's current RIM-66 Standard Missile 2 missiles, from the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System.[5]
At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 10,000 tons full load,[6] 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, [7] and built slightly bulkier and heavier than
ROKS Jeongjo the Great was launched on 28 July 2022 by Hyundai Heavy Industries. She is scheduled to be delivered to the ROK Navy in 2026.