South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) has handed over the second Patrol Killer Experimental-B (PKX-B)-class fast attack craft on order for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), according to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
HHIC handed over the second PKX-B-class fast attack craft on order for the RoKN on 26 November, according to the DAPA. (DAPA)
The vessel (with pennant number 212), which was handed over in a ceremony on 26 November at the company’s facilities in Busan, will enter service in the first half of 2020 and be deployed on patrol missions near the inter-Korean maritime border, according to the DAPA.
The first craft of the class, which was given pennant number 211, was delivered to the navy in October 2017. The third and fourth vessels of the class, which have been given pennant numbers 213 and 215, are expected to be handed over to the service before the end of the year.
The latest developments come after HHIC announced on 31 October that it had won a KRW246 billion (USD211 million) contract from the DAPA for the construction of four more vessels of the class for the RoKN. Under the contract HHIC is expected to deliver the four vessels by December 2022, according to the Yonhap News Agency. HHIC said that, with the latest deal, it now has orders from the RoKN for 16 of these vessels worth a total of KRW1.1 trillion. Additional orders are expected, possibly as part of a second batch.
The PKX-B class, which is also known as the Chamsuri II class, has a full-load displacement of 300 tonnes, an overall length of 44 m, an overall beam of 7 m, and can accommodate a crew of 20.
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