The Diplomat:
At the beginning of June, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy has launched its first improved Incheon-class guided-missile frigate, known as Future Frigate eXperimental (FFX) II during development, The Korea Timesreports.
The launching ceremony of the 2,800-ton (3,600-ton full load) frigate Daegu took place on June 2 at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard–the ship’s primary contractor–on Geoje Island, 470 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The Daegu is the first out of six to nine FFX-II ships to be built by DSME in the years ahead. The ROK Navy is slated to receive the new vessel after extensive builder’s trials at the end of 2017 with a commissioning date set for late 2018.
