SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state arms procurement agency officially concluded a deal with Hanwha Ocean Co. on Friday to kick-start the development of a next-generation Navy destroyer, with the aim of delivering the lead ship to the Navy by 2032.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it inked the deal with Hanwha Ocean on detailed planning and construction of the lead ship for the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) program.

Under the 7.8 trillion-won (US$5.4 billion) project, South Korea plans to develop six 7,000-ton-class Aegis destroyers, equipped with key weapons systems, such as combat and sonar systems, developed from homegrown technology.

With the deal concluded, the defense firm will draw up detailed designs of the envisioned destroyers and assess their operational capabilities, according to DAPA.

The move comes nearly a month after Hanwha Ocean beat rival HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. as the preferred bidder for the development project by 0.59 point.

The project was delayed by over two years as competition between the two firms intensified, even leading to a legal battle, which culminated with a guilty verdict for HD Hyundai employees over stealing Hanwha's initial KDDX conceptual designs. DAPA imposed a severe penalty on HD Hyundai over the case.

Following an open competitive bidding process, DAPA notified both companies that Hanwha was selected as the final preferred bidder earlier this month.

DAPA is expected to begin placing orders for the remaining five vessels in late 2028, with the goal of delivering all five ships to the Navy by 2036.

The envisioned 6,000-ton-class Aegis destroyers are expected to become among the Navy's core strategic assets, offering capabilities comparable to those of the 7,100-ton King Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers, currently the service's most powerful warships.

sookim@yna.co.kr

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