The ''Cheonji''-class fast combat support ship (, ) are fast combat support ships in service in the

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ), also known as the ROK Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and Amphibious warfare, amphibious operations. The South ...

. After commissioning in the 1990s, they significantly increased the Korean Navy's ocean operation ability, especially in foreign domains. They participated in events using their wide deck and contributed to the development of civil-military relations.

Background and construction

After the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, the Korean Navy purchased and operated small refueling ships from the 1960s to the 1980s. These ships were obsolete due to prolonged operation, which forced their retirement beginning in the late 1970s. As the demand for maritime operations increased day, the Navy required vessels to complete the missions. From the mid-1980s, based on ship drying experiences, the Korean Navy proposed building combat support ships domestically. From 1988 to 1990, the first combat support ship, later named ''Cheonji'', was built and launched. ''Daecheong'' and ''Hwacheon'' were built seven years later. At the time, the Korean Navy decided whether or not to build follow-up ships after finishing the operation test of the first ship. As the needs of support ships increased, the Navy designed the ''Soyang''-class ships in 2016, based on the ''Cheonji'' class.

Design

''Cheonji''-class ships are about long, wide. It was the largest of the Korean Navy before the construction of . They can load about 4,800 tons of cargo, excluding the ship's supply. They are armed with one gun, one gun, and Device Automatic Gurre Anti-missile Infrared Electromagnetic device, providing self-defence against enemy ships. Resupply systems are located both left and right, to supply two ships at once. At the stern, it is possible to resupply both ''Cheonji'' class and other ships by using

UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift military utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted a design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) ...

helicopters. The most distinctive feature is that it is highly adaptable and can transport supplies to ports without cargo handling facilities.

List of ships

The names of fast combat support ships are taken from lakes that have large water volume in Korea. For example, ''Cheonji'', the first ship of the class, is the name of Cheonji lake.

References

{{Republic of Korea Navy ships Auxiliary ships of the Republic of Korea Navy Auxiliary replenishment ship classes