The Republic of Korea ship Yulgok Yi I’s, supported by the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin, successfully completed a series of trials for the ship’s Aegis Combat System.
The at-sea Combat System Ship Qualification Trials took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The trials are the final tests of system design, hardware and software integration, ship construction and crew training.
“These trials validate Yulgok Yi I’s Aegis Combat System, ship and crew and their ability to execute Combat System missions,” said Doug Wilhelm, director of international programs at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems & Sensors business unit. “This ship will be a significant addition to the air defense, anti-submarine, anti-surface and self-defense capabilities of the Republic of Korea Navy. We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership with the Republic of Korea Navy through our work on this program.”
During the CSSQT, the ship’s combat system was evaluated for combat readiness through comprehensive multi-mission warfare exercises, as well as thorough testing of the system’s tactical data link capabilities. The anti-air warfare exercises included manned aircraft raids, electronic attack scenarios and live air-defense engagements.
Yulgok Yi I is the second of three Korean Destroyer eXperimental program destroyers being built by the Republic of Korea; the ship was commissioned in August 2010. The first KDX-III destroyer, Sejong the Great, deployed in 2009. At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons fully loaded, these destroyers are the largest surface warships carrying the Aegis Combat System.
The Aegis system includes Lockheed Martin’s SPY-1 radar, the Navy’s most advanced multi-function radar system. When paired with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare.
The Aegis Combat System is deployed on more than 100 ships around the globe. In addition to the U.S. and the Republic of Korea, Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway and Spain. Aegis-equipped ships have more than 1,200 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,800 missiles in tests and real-world operations.
