"New Power Cutting Through the Waves"... HJ Heavy Industries Holds Integrated Launching Ceremony for Four New Navy High-Speed Patrol Boats

All 20 New High-Speed Patrol Boats for Coastal Defense Built,
Showcasing Unrivaled Technological Prowess

On December 8, HJ Heavy Industries held an integrated launching ceremony for four domestically produced new high-speed patrol boats, which are part of the Navy's coastal defense forces.

HJ Heavy Industries held an integrated launching ceremony for four domestically produced new high-speed patrol boats on the 8th. Provided by HJ Heavy Industries

These patrol boats are the first four vessels built by HJ Heavy Industries as part of the Navy’s new high-speed patrol boat acquisition project (PKX-B Batch-II) initiated in 2022.

The ceremony was held at the Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan, attended by key military officials such as Rear Admiral Ahn Sangmin, Commander of the Navy Logistics Command; Colonel Jisanghyuk, Acting Head of the Naval Ship Project Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Cha Youngjoo, Head of the Naval Center at the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality; as well as HJ Heavy Industries CEO Yoo Sangcheol, other shipyard officials, and Navy personnel.

The launching ceremony proceeded in the following order: national ceremony, project progress report, ship naming announcement, commemorative speech, awards for contributors, congratulatory remarks, and the launching and safe navigation prayer ritual.

The new high-speed patrol boat (PKMR, Patrol-boat Killer Medium Rocket) is the Navy’s next-generation patrol boat that will replace the aging Chamsuri-class patrol boats (PKM) and carry out coastal defense missions.

Equipped with the latest combat systems, 130mm guided rockets, electronic warfare equipment, and anti-missile decoy systems, these boats feature significantly enhanced firepower, survivability, and operational capabilities compared to previous patrol boats. In particular, the waterjet engine enables operations in coastal and shallow waters without interference from fishing nets. The hull has been drastically improved by applying enhanced ballistic protection for critical areas, shock-resistant design, fireproof bulkheads, and stealth construction techniques, thereby maximizing the vessel’s survivability.

HJ Heavy Industries previously constructed and delivered all 16 vessels ordered by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration under the Navy’s new high-speed patrol boat (PKX-B Batch-I) project. In the subsequent second phase (Batch-II), which incorporated improvements, the company also achieved the milestone of securing orders for all 12 vessels commissioned to date.

Recognized as a leading domestic naval defense contractor, HJ Heavy Industries has written more than 50 years of patrol boat history, from the first domestically produced high-speed patrol boat in 1972 to the latest models. The patrol boats launched on this day were also fully completed using HJ Heavy Industries’ own technology, from design to construction.

An HJ Heavy Industries representative stated, "Since launching the first new high-speed patrol boat in 2016, we have successfully launched a total of 20 new high-speed patrol boats to date," adding, "Based on our accumulated technological expertise and construction experience as a specialized naval defense contractor, we will contribute to enhancing the stature of K-Defense."

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