This was expressed in a meeting between the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence, Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, and the Vice Minister of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense, Shin Beom-chul earlier this week. The meeting was held as the 10th annual strategic defense dialogue between the two countries.
South Korea previously transferred two refurbished Pohang-class corvettes to Vietnam after being retired from the Republic of Korea Navy’s (ROKN) service. The ROKS Gimcheon (PCC-761) was transferred in May 2017, followed by the ROKS Yeosu (PCC-765) in October 2018.
Under the VPN service, the ships were once modified as launch platforms for the Russian-made Kh-35 Uran (NATO: SS-N-25 Switchblade) anti-ship missile, giving them the capability to attack and destroy vessels with a displacement of up to 5,000 tonnes. Reports indicated that the missiles have been removed sometime later and the ships returned to duty as patrol vessels.
The Pohang-class corvettes are a class of Patrol Combat Corvette (PCC) of the South Korean Navy, built between 1984 and 1992. As many as 24 of the ships in this class were once operated by the ROKN until their decommissioning which began in 2009. As of 2022, seven of them are still active in the ROKN while seven others have been transferred to other navies.
With a displacement of around 1,000 tonnes, each of these ships has a length of about 88.3 meters, 10 meters beam, and 2.9 meters draft. Powered with a combination of one gas turbine and two diesel engines, these ships have a maximum speed of about 32 knots and a maximum range of about 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) under 15 knots cruising speed.
The Pohang-class corvettes are armed with either one or two OTO Melara 76 mm/62 naval cannons, two Oerlikon 30 mm or Bofors 40 mm cannons, with either Exocet, Harpoon, or South Korean-made SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship missiles – depending on their production batches. The ships are also equipped with anti-submarine torpedoes and/or depth charges, as well as Mistral Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) for self-defense against aircraft.
In the South East Asia region, both VPN and the Philippine Navy are listed as transfer recipients of Pohang-class corvettes with two vessels each. Both navies have also expressed their interest to acquire a third ship of the same class from South Korea.
The Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AICAT (Austrian Industrial Cooperation & Aviation Technology) to…
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) announced that it has reclaimed the title of the "World’s Best Airport" at the prestigious…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) joined the Sharp Technics K (STK) and Incheon International Airport Corporation for a ceremony heralding the…
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions division has forged a strategic alliance and reseller agreement with Rancher Government Solutions (RGS), a provider of…
Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, has experienced a significant surge in brand value, as indicated by the latest…
The ongoing eruption of Mount Ruang in the Siau Islands regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia has caused significant disruptions to air…
Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, recently received the first Embraer E190-E2 aircraft at Changi Airport. "We are excited…
The first of two Fincantieri-built PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura - offshore multi-purpose patrol vessel) for the Indonesian Navy is expected…
Thailand’s DTI (Defence Technology Institute) and the Royal Thai Army recently conducted a successful test of the DTI-STD-003 bridge layer…
Eve Air Mobility has signed a letter of intent with AirX, Japan’s largest public helicopter air charter service, for up…
L3Harris Technologies has received a US$256 million order from the U.S. Army for continued production of the Enhanced Night Vision…
The Missile Defense Agency has selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the nation's new homeland missile defense capability, the Next Generation…
Collins Aerospace will introduce two major upgrades to the Ascentia software platform. Ascentia is a software solution for aircraft reliability management that…
Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A engine recently surpassed 25 million flight hours and 40 years of powering the Cessna Caravan…
The US Army deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines for the first time. This deployment…
Milrem Robotics has secured a contract to deliver an undisclosed quantity of THeMIS UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) to the Japanese…
CMA CGM Air Cargo is set to expand its service by launching a transpacific route connecting Asia to North America…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has designated Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) as the supplier for the pylons of its electric…
Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo arm of one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has established…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has secured a contract to supply a Multi-Sensor Multi-Mission Radar (MS-MMR) system for the air defence…
The first Embraer E190F, a jet converted from passenger transport to freighter (E-Freighter), successfully concluded its inaugural flight in São…
The Government of Greece officially announced its plans to purchase 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin…
Cathay Cargo resumed its Ho Chi Minh City freighter service on April 4, 2024, after a four-year hiatus due to…
Skykraft has secured approval from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for its spectrum filing for a constellation of 2976 satellites.…
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with…
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $559 million over five years to operate, maintain…
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the ARBEL, hailed as the world’s first computerized small arms system, on Thursday (Apr. 4).…
Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) has integrated the H175 helicopter flight simulator developed by Indra into their training regimen.…
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Air Canada is set to return to Singapore's Changi International Airport with the…
FLY91, India's youngest regional airline, announced a partnership with IBS Software on Wednesday (Apr. 3). Aiming to enhance its commercial…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.