ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' (DDG-991) is 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 ...

of the her class of guided missile destroyer built for 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 ...

. She was the first Aegis-built destroyer of the service and was named after the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, Sejong the Great.

Background

The ship features the

Aegis Combat System The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin. Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...

(Baseline 7 Phase 1) combined with

AN/SPY-1 The AN/SPY-1 is a United States Navy 3D radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The array is a passive electronically scanned system and a key component of the Aegis Combat System. The system is computer controlled and uses four complement ...

D multi-function radar antennae. The ''Sejong the Great'' class is the third phase of the South Korean navy's

Korean Destroyer eXperimental KDX (Korean Destroyer eXperimental) is a substantial shipbuilding program embarked on by the Republic of Korea Navy. It is a three-phased program consisting of three individual classes of ships: * KDX-I (3,800 tons), * KDX-II (5,500 tons), * ...

(KDX) program, a substantial shipbuilding program, which is geared toward enhancing ROKN's ability to successfully defend the maritime areas around South Korea from various modes of threats as well as becoming a blue-water navy. At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load, the KDX-III ''Sejong the Great'' destroyers are by far the largest destroyers in the South Korean Navy, and indeed are larger than most destroyers in the navies of other countries. and built slightly bulkier and heavier than s or s to accommodate 32 more missiles. As such, some analysts believe that this class of ships is more appropriately termed a class of cruisers rather than destroyers. KDX-III are currently the largest ships to carry the Aegis combat system.

Construction and career

ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' was launched on 25 May 2007 by Hyundai Heavy Industries. She was commissioned into the ROK Navy on 22 December 2008.

RIMPAC Exercise

(ROKN) has actively participated in the recent iterations of the ''RIMPAC'', which is a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships. On 23 June 2010, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' participated in RIMPAC 2010. She again participated in 2016 RIMPAC exercises along with ROKS Kang Gam-chan, and submarine ROKS ''Lee Eokgi'' of the ROKN. ''Sejong the Great'' again participated in

RIMPAC RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...

2022.

Gallery

File:US Navy 100730-N-8539M-181 The Republic of Korea Navy guided-missile destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG 991) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010 exercises.jpg, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' arriving in

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...

during RIMPAC 2010. File:ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG 991) broadside view.jpg, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' during RIMPAC 2010. File:US Navy 100724-N-3659B-062 The Republic of Korea Navy King Sejong the Great-class guided-missile destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG 991) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65).jpg, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' alongside USS Chosin during RIMPAC 2010. File:US Navy 100709-N-0260R-029 ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG 991) cruises off the coast of Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010 exercises.jpg, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' during RIMPAC 2010. File:US Navy 100709-N-7058E-435 The Republic of Korea Navy guided-missile destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG 991), the Canadian Navy guided-missile destroyer HMCS Algonquin (DDG 283).jpg, ROKS ''Sejong the Great'' alongside USS McClusky and HMCS Algonquin during RIMPAC 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sejong the Great (DDG-991) Sejong the Great-class destroyers Ships built by Hyundai Heavy Industries Group 2007 ships