ROKS ''Marado'' (LPH-6112) is the second ship of the of the
Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy i ...
.
Differences with ROKS ''Dokdo''
''Marado'' was built with some changes compared to the
lead ship
The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels.
Large ships are very complex and may ...
. The flight deck is adapted to accommodate two V-22 Ospreys, while ''Dokdo'' was able to only carry one. In place of the Thales SMART-L multibeam radar and MW08 surveillance radar, ''Marado'' uses the
Elta Systems
ELTA Systems Ltd (ELTA) is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, ELINT, COMINT, C4ISTAR, Electronic Warfare, Communication, Autonomous Ground Systems, Intelligence and Cyber products.
ELTA, a group and ...
LIG Nex1
LIG Nex1 Co., Ltd. (formerly known as NEX1 Future and LG Innotek) is a South Korean aerospace manufacturer and defense company. It was established in 1976 as Goldstar Precision. LIG Nex1 was previously owned by LIG Holdings Company, which in tu ...
SPS-550K 3-D air and surface surveillance radar. It also has a different weapons suite than the 30 mm Goalkeeper and RAM, instead using two 20 mm
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS (often spoken as "sea-wiz") is a gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the Gen ...
and having a K-VLS at the rear of the superstructure for the locally developed
K-SAAM
The K-SAAM (Korean Surface to Air Anti Missile, ko, 해궁 "Haegung", Hanja: 海弓) is a South Korean medium range ship-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) system that is being developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), LIG Nex1 and ...
.
Construction and Career
The ''Marado'' was launched on 14 May 2018 at the shipyard of
Hanjin
The Hanjin Group () is a South Korean chaebol. The group has various industries covered from transportation and airlines to hotels, tourism, and airport businesses, and one of the largest chaebols in Korea. The group includes Korean Air (KAL) ...
Heavy Industries & Constructions Co. in
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...
. The Marado was commissioned on 28 June 2021 and is based at the
Jinhae Naval Base
Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae ( ko, 진해 함대지원부대; l
economic crisis of 2008
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At t ...
the second ship of the was cancelled. In 2012 the budget was restored after the rise of tensions in the region.
Construction started in November 2016 with the first steel being cut. The keel was
laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
in April the following year and the launch occurring another year later. The following two years consisted of
fitting-out
Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...
and going through
sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...
Project 23900 amphibious assault ship
The Project 23900 ''Ivan Rogov'' is the newest class of Russian amphibious assault ships intended as a replacement for the French , two of which were ordered by Russia in 2011, but that France refused to deliver in September 2014 due to Russia' ...