Ulsan: The Navy is set to bolster its air defense capabilities with the addition of a new 8,200-ton destroyer equipped with an advanced missile interception platform. This move, aimed at enhancing defense against North Korean missiles, comes with the delivery of the Jeongjo the Great destroyer next week in a ceremony in Ulsan, approximately 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul. According to Yonhap News Agency, the Jeongjo the Great destroyer, named after a visionary king from the Joseon Dynasty, will be officially handed over to the Navy following a launch ceremony that took place in July 2022. This 170-meter-long and 21-meter-wide destroyer boasts radar-evading capabilities and is fitted with the latest Aegis combat system, enabling it to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missiles effectively. The warship will be armed with the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) ship-based surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at altitudes exceeding 100 kilometers. Back in April, the sta te arms procurement agency announced that its weapons program review committee had approved the acquisition plan for the SM-3s through government-to-government foreign military sales. The Jeongjo the Great is the inaugural vessel among three 8,200-ton Aegis destroyers that Seoul plans to acquire under the Gwanggaeto-III Batch-II project. It joins South Korea's fleet as the fourth Aegis destroyer, alongside the ROKS King Sejong the Great, the ROKS Yulgok Yi I, and the ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong.