Seoul: The state arms procurement agency has announced plans to adopt a selective bidding process to choose a shipbuilder for the nation's first homegrown advanced destroyer, as confirmed by officials on Monday. This decision marks a significant step forward in a project aimed at enhancing the country's naval capabilities through locally developed technology.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Defense Project Promotion Committee reached this decision during a meeting held on Monday afternoon, outlining the procedure to select the winner for the ambitious 7 trillion-won (US$5 billion) project. This initiative involves the construction of six advanced destroyers and had faced delays due to a legal dispute between the participating shipbuilders, Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., both of which contributed to the design of the planned destroyer.
The arms agency has set an ambitious timeline, aiming to deliver the destroyers to the Navy for deployment by the end of 2032. These 6,000-ton-class Aegis destroyers are anticipated to serve as a strategic asset for the Navy, featuring weapons systems primarily developed through homegrown technology. This development underscores the nation's commitment to bolstering its defense capabilities with indigenous innovation.