South Korean shipyard launches new frigate

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A fourth guided missile frigate for the South Korean Navy has been launched by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, the Ministry of National Defense announced.

The ship, "Gangwon Ham," is one of 20 new frigates planned for the Navy by the mid-2020s and will be delivered to the service next year.

Gangwon Ham displaces 2,300-tons and 374 feet in length. It carries 120 sailors, has a maximum speed of as much as 30 knots and will carry a full complement of anti-ship and air defense weapons. Among them: the Haeseong ship-to-ship guided missile, Chung Sang Eo light torpedoes and a 5-inch main gun.

More than 90 percent of ship systems are locally made.

"The next frigate will allow our defense ability for near sea to be improved so that North Korean threats can be deterred," a South Korean Navy spokesman said. "If the enemy provokes us, we'll instantly punish them and bury them at sea."