Pohang-class corvette

ROKS Sokcho and Bucheon underway in 2007
Class overview
NamePohang class
Builders
Operators
Preceded byDonghae class
Succeeded byIncheon class
In commission17 December 1984 – present
Completed24
Active
Retired14 (-5)
Preserved3
General characteristics
TypeCorvette
Displacement
  • 950 t (empty)
  • 1,220 t (full)
Length88.3 m (289 ft 8 in)[2]
Beam10 m (32 ft 10 in)[3]
Draft2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)[2]
Propulsion
Speed
  • Maximum: 32 knots (59 km/h)
  • Cruising: 15 knots (28 km/h)[3]
Range4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km)[3]
Crew95 (10 officers)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Combat management system:
  • Signaal SEWACO ZK (Batch II - III)
  • Samsung/Ferranti WSA-423 (Batch IV - VI)
  • Fire control system & radar:
  • Signaal WM28 (Batch II - III)
  • WSA-423 includes FCS (Batch IV - VI)
  • Fire control radar:
  • Samsung/Marconi S1810 (Batch IV - VI)[4]
  • Samsung/Marconi ST1802 (Batch V - VI)
  • Surface search radar:
  • Raytheon AN/SPS-64 (Batch II - VI)[4]
  • STX SPS-300K (Batch IV - VI, after 2014)[5]
  • Optronic director:
  • Signaal LIOD (Batch II - III)
  • Samsung/Radamec 2400 (Batch IV - VI)
  • Sonar:
  • EDO 786 (Batch II)[4]
  • Raytheon AN/SQS-58 (Batch III - VI)[4]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Mk 36 SRBOC
  • GoldStar ULQ-12K ESM
  • SLQ-261K TACM (Batch IV - VI, after 2012)[4]
  • Victek SLQ-201K ESM (Batch IV - VI, after 2019)
Armament

The Pohang-class PCC (Patrol Combat Corvette) (Korean: 포항급 초계함, Hanja: 浦項級哨戒艦) is the low-end complement of the high-low mix domestic naval construction plan of the Republic of Korea Navy under the 1st Yulgok Project (1974-1986) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. It was originally planned as a Batch II production of Donghae-class corvette, but many changes on overall design, notably applying the hull design of Ulsan-class frigate, reclassified the ship to its own class. The ship is designed for patrolling maritime border, including the Northern Limit Line, protecting the littoral zone, and combating the North Korean vessels.[6]

Since 1984, a total of 24 Pohang-class corvettes commissioned in the Republic of Korea Navy. The decommission of the class started in 2009, and is being replaced with series of FFX program. As of January 2023, 5 remain in service in the ROKN, and 7 were transferred to other navies.

  1. ^ "Indonesia boosts naval capabilities with South Korean ships". Indo-Pacific Defense Forum. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b John E. Pike (January 9, 2010). "Pohang (PCC Patrol Combat Corvette): Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. Alexandria, Virginia. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d "Patrol Combat Covtte (PCC)". Republic of Korea Navy. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e "포항급 초계함". 디펜스투데이 (in Korean). February 28, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SPS-300K was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ [첨단국가의 초석, 방위산업] 동해급과 포항급 초계함(1부), retrieved December 2, 2021