Documents
South Korea HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
Sejong the Great-class destroyer
South Korea's Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer class and one of the most heavily armed surface combatants in the world, carrying up to 128 vertical launch cells across Mk 41 and K-VLS systems. It gives the Republic of Korea Navy a blue-water air-defense and strike capability built around the AN/SPY-1D(V) radar shared with US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
In service since 2008
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
7,650
t
30
kn
5,500
nmi
128
VLS
300
crew
💲 ≈ $923,000,000, Well supported: South Korean defense reporting puts each KDX-III destroyer at approximately KRW 1.2 trillion, which converts to almost exactly this figure, and multiple independent sources repeat it.
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 2008. Status: active · ~4 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$2.3B – $3.2B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Sejong the Great-class destroyer can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 127mm/L62 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. | 128 |
| Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships). | 6 |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 166 m |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | AN/SPY-1D(V) multi-function radar |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $923,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 4 |
Specifications compiled from public HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Navantia Alvaro de Bazan class (F100) Head-to-head comparisons
Sejong the Great-class destroyer vs
Type 055 
Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer 
Type 45 Daring 
Sachsen-class Frequently asked questions
What is the main armament of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer? +
The HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer's primary weapon is the 127mm/L62 Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun.
What is the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer used for? +
The HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer is a warship typically used for air defense, anti ship.
How much does the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer cost? +
The HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sejong the Great-class destroyer has an approximate unit cost of 923,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Related coverage
Sejong the Great-class destroyer in the news
Article guide · Jul 17, 2026
How Many VLS Cells Does a Warship Actually Carry?
Sejong the Great publishes 128 VLS cells, ahead of Ticonderoga's 122 and Type 055's 112, but cell count isn't one comparable unit across navies.
Article guide · Jul 13, 2026
The 10 Best Destroyers of 2026, Ranked
A 10-to-1 countdown of the best destroyers of 2026, ranked on real combat record, air defense, weapons and sustainment, not brochure numbers.
Article comparison · Jul 6, 2026
Arleigh Burke vs Type 055 vs Sejong the Great
South Korea's Sejong the Great carries 128 VLS cells, more than China's Type 055 or the US Navy's Arleigh Burke, but the number hides three tradeoffs.
Article industry · Jul 5, 2026
Which Warship Packs the Most Missiles Per Ton?
Israel's Sa'ar 6 corvette packs 16.0 VLS cells per 1,000 tons, beating the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke classes despite a fifth of their size.