[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Revived Performance of Cheonan Ship in the West Sea

New Escort Ship Cheonan Deployed to 2nd Fleet Command
Enhanced Armament Including Domestically Developed Hong-sang-eo

The Navy's new frigate Cheonan (FFG-II, 2,800-ton class) has returned. It is the latest vessel that revives the name of the Cheonan (PCC-772), which was decommissioned after being hit by a torpedo launched from a North Korean submarine on March 26, 2010.

On the 23rd, the Navy announced, "The new frigate Cheonan was commissioned in May this year and, after about seven months of training and operational performance evaluations, was operationally deployed to the 2nd Fleet Command today."

The revived Cheonan is stronger than before. The Cheonan has been upgraded from a patrol craft to a frigate. Patrol crafts, which perform coastal security missions, are smaller than frigates. Frigates are assigned specialized missions such as coastal defense and convoy escort, but due to advancements in weapon systems, they now possess combat capabilities comparable to destroyers.

The Cheonan measures 122 meters in length, 14 meters in width, 35 meters in height, and is a 2,800-ton class vessel. It can reach a top speed of 30 knots (55 km/h) and can carry one maritime operational helicopter.

Additionally, it is equipped with a 5-inch naval gun, anti-ship missiles, and tactical surface-to-surface guided missiles and missile defense guided missiles launched from the Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS). Notably, it is armed with the Hong Sang-eo, a long-range anti-submarine torpedo that was not present on the previous Cheonan. The Hong Sang-eo is an anti-submarine guided weapon system equipped with lightweight torpedoes launched vertically from surface ships to attack distant enemy submarines. The launch flame suppression technology applied to the vertical launching system operating the Hong Sang-eo was independently developed domestically. Furthermore, it has superior submarine countermeasure capabilities compared to the old Cheonan. It is equipped with a towed array sonar system (TASS), which the previous Cheonan did not have, enabling submarine detection at long distances.

The naming of the new frigate Cheonan carries the meaning of honoring the Cheonan that sank due to a North Korean torpedo attack. The patrol craft Cheonan (PCC-772), commissioned in 1988, participated in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong and protected the West Sea until it was hit by a torpedo launched from a North Korean submarine on March 26, 2010, leading to its decommissioning. Since late 2019, the Navy has been considering naming the new vessel Cheonan at the request of the families of the Cheonan crew and related organizations.

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