New High-Speed Patrol Boat Engines Built by Hanjin Heavy Industries Show Consecutive Defects

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Four new high-speed patrol boats (230-ton class) built by Hanjin Heavy Industries have experienced engine failures. Due to the same issue, an emergency has been raised regarding the missions of the new high-speed patrol boats deployed in the event of an emergency around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea.

According to the military on the 13th, the same phenomenon of engine cylinder heads cracking was found in four new high-speed patrol boats, including the first ship deployed in November 2017 and the second to fourth ships.

A military official explained, "For the new high-speed patrol boats, preventive maintenance is conducted after about 3,000 hours of operation," adding, "During engine maintenance on the first ship at the standard operating hours, damage from cracked engine cylinder heads was discovered."

He continued, "Accordingly, engines on the second to fourth ships were also maintained, and the same phenomenon was found," adding, "It appears that problems occurred between 750 and 800 hours of operation on all four ships, so the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality was requested to identify the cause."

Inside and outside the military, the repeated occurrence of the same type of failure has raised the possibility of an engine defect.

A Navy official said, "Currently, the affected ships are operational after replacing the damaged parts," adding, "However, it was judged necessary to identify the cause of the damage to prevent recurrence and ensure stable ship operation in the future."

The Defense Agency for Technology and Quality explained, "In response to user complaints from the required forces (Navy), we plan to conduct a technical investigation and cause analysis, prepare an investigation and analysis report including follow-up measures, and notify the Navy," adding, "We plan to notify around late next month, but the schedule may be flexible depending on the investigation results."

The new high-speed patrol boat (Geomdoksuri-B class deployment-1) is a 230-ton class vessel that replaces the Chamsuri-class patrol boats, the heroes of the First and Second Battle of Yeonpyeong.

Based on the latest combat systems and powerful offensive capabilities such as 130mm guided rockets and 76mm naval guns, it performs frontline missions for the NLL adjacent waters and coastal defense. The crew consists of about 20 members, and it can operate at a maximum speed of 41 knots (75 km/h) for high-speed navigation.

Hanjin Heavy Industries won a total of 16 new high-speed patrol boat projects through four bids from 2014 to 2019. So far, eight ships have been built, and four of them have been deployed in actual service.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.