Seoul: South Korea held a launch ceremony Wednesday for a new homegrown 3,600-ton frigate with enhanced anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy and the state arms procurement agency said. The ceremony for the ROKS Jeju, named after the country's southern resort island, took place at a shipyard run by SK Oceanplant Co., in Goseong County, about 350 kilometers south of Seoul, the Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a joint release.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the 129-meter-long vessel is the fourth ship built as part of South Korea's Ulsan-class Batch-III frigate acquisition program aimed at replacing aging frigates and patrol combat corvettes. "Now is a critical moment more than ever to strengthen our resolve for a self-reliant national defense and practical readiness posture," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung said at the ceremony. Jin noted the military has been stepping up efforts to upgrade unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aerial vehicles, while seeking to boost artificial intelligence-based combat capabilities.

The new frigate is equipped with a 5-inch gun, a vertical launch system, anti-ship missile interceptors, ship-to-ship guided missiles, tactical ship-to-ground guided missiles, and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes. It is also fitted with a homegrown "multifunctional phased array radar" system capable of detecting, tracking multiple targets and engaging them at the same time. The vessel is expected to serve as a key combat ship operating in regional waters with its advanced anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy and DAPA said. Following a trial period, the frigate will be delivered to the Navy in June 2027, before going into service.