Daegu-class frigate

South Korea's second-batch frigate under the FFX program, built to replace older Ulsan-class frigates and Pohang-class corvettes with a hybrid CODLOG propulsion system and a hull-mounted plus towed-array sonar for enhanced anti-submarine warfare. Eight ships have been completed, each carrying a 16-cell K-VLS and eight SSM-700K Haeseong anti-ship missiles.

In service since 2018

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

3,100

4,500

nmi

VLS

140

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

ROK export-licensed

DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.

Channel: Government-to-government

Fielded & proven

Operator data not public

In service since 2018. Status: active · ~8 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 127 mm Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun
VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship — a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.: 16

Stronger than 20% of warships
Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).: 6

Stronger than 69% of warships

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 122 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 3,100 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 3,600 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 30 kn

Stronger than 74% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.: 4,500 nmi

Stronger than 28% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 140
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.: 1

Stronger than 20% of warships
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: Combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG): 1x Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, 4x MTU diesel engines, 2x Leonardo DRS electric motors

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: SPS-550K air search radar, SPG-540K fire control radar
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: SQS-240K hull-mounted sonar, SQR-250K towed array sonar