Dokdo class landing platform experimental
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| Dokdo class Amphibious Ship | |
|---|---|
| Ship launched: | July 12, 2005 |
| Ship displacement: | 14,000 tons (empty) / 18,800 tons (full) |
| Length: | 199 m |
| Beam: | 31 m |
| Draught: | 6.6 m |
| Speed: | 18 knots cruising |
| Ship complement: | 300 crew members, 720 marines |
| Ship armament: | Goalkeeper CIWS, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile |
| Aircraft: | Max 10 helicopters |
Dokdo Class Amphibious Ship is an amphibious assault ship of the South Korean Navy, named after the Dokdo islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
On 12 July 2005, South Korea (ROK) launched the first LPX amphibious landing ship at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co. in Busan. The ship is scheduled to be handed over to the South Korean Navy in 2007.
The LPX project is the ROK Navy's helicopter ship project for which Hanjin Heavy Industries has provided the general design package. The ROKN has a well-defined requirement for new amphibious ships to significantly enhance Korea's current AMW capability, both in terms of assault and OOTW operations.
When First Solo Landing Drills on 20-27 Oct 2006 in the vicinity of Pohang,it was evaluated that Dokdo was incapable according to the report of South Korea. This is because the ability is insufficient of LCAC and the purpose is the helicopter uninstalling.
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[edit] First Steps to a Blue Water Navy
In a speech delivered in March 2001, then President Kim Dae Jung stated that his administration was aiming to build a navy that "will defend the national interests in the five oceans and perform a role in defending world peace." By the year 2020, the ROK Navy plans to deploy two or three rapid response fleets, each comprising of 1 LPX, 2 KDX-III, 4 KDX-II, 1 KDX-I and possibly a number of FFX frigates and two or three SSX submarines.
- See also: Military of South Korea
[edit] Specifications
LPX is a versatile helicopter ship, and includes a rear flooding deck to accommodate Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV's) and two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). The ship is 199 metres long, 31 metres wide, with a 14,000 ton(empty)/18,000 ton (full) displacement.
This means that LPX is not only the largest vessel in the South Korean Navy but also substantially larger than the Osumi-class landing ships (8,900 tons) of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, and with a larger payload capacity as well, making it the largest of its kind in the region. Previously, the largest ship in the Korean Navy was the 9,000-ton at-sea Underway Replenishment (UNREP) support vessel Cheonji.
As a high-speed amphibious ship, LPX was based on the concept of "over-the-horizon assault." As the name indicates, the "over-the-horizon assault" comprises a military operation in which an amphibious landing operation is conducted with high-speed air-cushioned vehicles and helicopters from beyond the horizon, where they can't be easily detected or attacked by the enemy. The conventional LST (landing ship tank) has to approach the coastline for landing, at the risk of being fired upon by the enemy.
The LPX can carry 720 marines (+300 crew members), 6 tanks, 10 trucks, 7 AAV's, three field artillery pieces, 7 helicopters, and two LCAC hovercrafts capable of landing on enemy shores doing 40 knots—a mix that enables it to launch troop landings from both sea and air.
Self-defense armament includes the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system, meaning that South Korea is one of three countries in the world, after Germany and the United States to own one. The Goalkeeper Close-in weapon system (CIWS) was purchased in January 2003 from Thales, at per-set price of 13,000,000,000 won (roughly $15,000,000).
[edit] Semi-Aircraft Carrier
It is designed that can operate VSTOL aircraft.
If it were equipped with a ski jump board module, 15-17 meters in length, it could operate VSTOL aircraft such as the Harrier or F-35B. Its flight deck is coated with special Urethane to resist heat generated from aircraft.[1]
[edit] Future Plans
Some proposed uses for the ship include UN peacekeeping operations and disaster relief. For this reason, the LP-X is expected to usher in a new era of expanded Korean naval activity, since it can be used for relief, transport, and other peacetime activities.
The ROK Navy has plans to develop another similar ship by 2010. This unit will be named after Marado Island, which is located 11 kilometres offshore from Moseulpo harbor. Marado Island is commonly thought of as being both the ending and beginning point of Korea. Today a monument stands there recognizing it as the southernmost point of the country.
The third unit is to be named after Baengnyeong Island, which is located in the Yellow Sea near the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL) with North Korea. Baekryeong Island is the territory administered by South Korea that is closest to the NLL. It was an important military base and the site of fierce combat during the Korean War.
[edit] References
- ^ Globalsecurity.org
