Shipbucket

A few weeks ago I started reading into the South Korean (Republic of Korea) Navy, especially how it initially expanded in the post-Korean War years, initially being equipped with US-surplus FRAM destroyers (Fletcher, Allen M. Sumner, and Gearing - classes), and later developing a domestic shipbuilding program in the late 1970s / early 1980s, and finally by the early 2000s using solely domestically-built designs.

I was comparing and contrasting the ROKN with the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), which pivoted from using US surplus to domestically-produced designs much earlier, beginning in the 1960s. One of the operational concepts that the JMSDF developed early on was the anti-submarine task group, also known as the Escort Squadron, made up of several anti-submarine destroyers paired up with a destroyer leader which housed the command facilities and directed the task group. Later, the JMSDF introduced the concept of adding a guided missile-equipped air-defence destroyer to each task group, producing several domestically-built DDGs even before AEGIS was introduced in the late 1980s.

It's interesting to note that, unlike the JMSDF, the ROKN had no real air-defence capability until the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin - class destroyers were introduced in the early 2000s. No foreign type was ever procured to fill this obviously glaring gap in capability. My line of thinking was essentially, what if the ROKN had adopted a similar operational concept as the JMSDF as it was expanding in the 1970s? What types of designs would be available at that time period? The last Charles F. Adams - class destroyer is launched in 1969, so I'm going to assume production is not going to be restarted in a mid-1970s time period. The first Kidd - class is laid down in 1978, but I'm thinking that this is way too much warship for the ROKN at this time, both from a cost and manpower perspective. There's basically no chance that South Korea procures anything outside of a US design during this time period, so anything European is out.

Eliminating Adams and Kidd - classes means there aren't many options left to introduce an air-defence capability on a budget - that is, until I happened upon the Spanish-built Baleares - class, a modification of the US Knox - class frigates that sacrifice helicopter capability for the ability to carry Standard SM-1 missiles. Differing slightly from the Spanish-built versions, my US-built versions for the ROKN incorporate the "hurricane bow" that was added to the Knox - class which were famously wet forward prior to being modified. They also receive SQS-26 rather than the SQS-23 that was fitted to the Baleares - class.

I've dubbed these vessels the Nakdong - class, named for rivers of the Korean peninsula and perpetuating the names of five Tacoma - class patrol frigates that were transferred to the ROKN and decommissioned in the early 1970s.



I've also included a mid-life refit version which follows along with the refit that was done to the real-life Baleares - class. During this time period, the ROKN starts using Dutch radar systems on its domestically-built Ulsan - class frigates, so I think it's sensible to do the same thing here. DA-05 is added for secondary air search capability, while ZW-06 replaces SPS-10 for surface search. Two STIR-180 replace the lone SPG-51 illuminator as well as the SPG-53/Mk. 68 gun fire control system, giving an extra fire control channel for Standard SM-1. Harpoon is added just like the real-life Baleares - class, however DARDO is added in place of Meroka for close-in defence. SPS-52A is upgraded to SPS-52B, as well, chaff/decoy launchers and satcom are also added during this refit.



All in all, I'm happy with what I've been able to achieve here - I feel that these are fairly grounded in reality although I'd love any comments or constructive criticism. It was a pleasure to give these old drawings a little refresh with the latest parts - they still hold up well to the new standard and are a testament to how much attention to detail was put into the original MConrads drawings back in the early days of Shipbucket.

Very nice work and an interesting idea that fits very well, I really like the concept. The result, especially in the mid-life refit, is a very capable and balanced frigate.

Yep, MConrads' work stands the test of time pretty well usually. You might want to upgrade the propeller though, at least give it a reshade. But otherwise these look spot on drawing wise.

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