Chŏndong-class destroyer: Difference between revisions

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{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin <!-- warship classes -->
|infobox caption= <!-- keywords: yes, nodab; or caption text -->
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|sclass= <!-- keyword: 2 -->
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{{Infobox ship image
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:DD_Nunbora.png|300px]]
|Ship image=
|Ship caption= ''DD Nunbora'' as it appeared during the Battle of the Aqaba Sea.
|Ship image size=300px
|Ship caption=3-view diagram of ''Chŏndong'' as built
|image alt=
}}
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Chŏndong-class
|Builders=* [[Songsu-do_Naval_Base#Gy.C5.8Fngsan_Songsu-do_shipyard|Gyŏngsan Songsu-do Naval Yard]]
|Builders=
* Kimhae Naval Yard
|Operators= [[Menghe]]
|Operators=* [[Menghe]]
|Class before= [[Angae-class destroyer]]
|Class before=[[Nunbora-class destroyer]]
|Class after= [[Emil-si class destroyer]]
|Class after=none
|Subclasses=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1982-1995
|Built range= 1981-1999
|In commission range=1985-present
|In service range= 1994-present
|Total ships planned=
|In commission range=
|Total ships on order=
|Total ships building=
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned= 13
|Total ships completed=14
|Total ships completed=13
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=6
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=  
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=2
|Total ships lost=2
|Total ships retired=3
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=2
|Total ships scrapped=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Hide header=
|Header caption=Chŏndong-I subclass
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship type= {{wp|Guided_missile_destroyer|Guided missile destroyer}}
|Ship type={{wp|Destroyer}}
|Ship displacement= 3,500 tonnes fully loaded
|Ship displacement=* 3,300 tons standard
|Ship length= 126.1 m at waterline, full load<br>
* 4,540 tons full load
134.5 m overall
|Ship length=* 128.7 m overall
|Ship beam= 12.8 m
* 119.1 m at waterline
|Ship draught=4.73 m to keel, full load<br>
|Ship beam=13.1 m at waterline
5.49 m including sonar bulge
|Ship draught=4.87 m to keel
|Ship propulsion= {{wp|Combined_diesel_or_gas|CODOG}}
|Ship draft=
2 × diesel engine, 4,000 shp each<br>
|Ship propulsion= * steam turbine propulsion
2 × gas turbine, 24,000 shp each<br>
* 4 high-pressure boilers
2 shafts
* 75,000 shp
|Ship speed= 33 knots
|Ship speed=34 knots
|Ship range= 2,000 nm (3,700 km) at 18 knots
|Ship range=4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 18 knots
|Ship endurance=
|Ship complement=* 20 officers
|Ship boats=
* 223 enlisted crew
|Ship complement= 282
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship sensors=
HR-200 3D search radar<br>
* 2 × HR-210 air-search radar
HR-110 VHF search radar<br>
* [[HR-280]] surface-search radar
[[HR-280]] surface search radar<br>
* Ŭ-12 hull sonar
STH-775 hull-mounted sonar<br>
|Ship EW=
|Ship EW=
4 × P203 ECM<br>
* 2 × JJ-5 ECM antenna
1 × ShMTK-761 ship-to-ship datalink<br>
|Ship armament=
|Ship armament=
1 × HP-130/2 twin dual purpose 130mm gun<br>
* 1 × [[HP-130/2 Type 82]] dual 130mm turret
2 × 4-tube launcher for YDH-25 AShM<br>
* 8 × [[YDH-23]] anti-ship missile
2 × twin-arm launcher for YDG-32 SAM<br>
* 2 × 8 [[YDG-36]] surface-to-air missile (24 reloads)
4 × [[GBM-30/6#GBM-30.2F6|GBM-30/6]] CIWS<br>
* 4 × [[GBM-30/6]] {{wp|close-in weapon system|CIWS}}
2 × 2 533mm torpedo tube<br>
* 2 × {{wp|RBU-6000}} depth charge launcher
2 × [[RBDJ-21_series#RBDJ-21.2F12|RBDJ-21/12]] depth charge rocket projector<br>
* 2 × 3 450mm torpedo tube
|Ship aircraft=1 × GHZ-28 helicopter
* 120 mines
|Ship aircraft facilities=landing pad only
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
|Ship notes=
}}
}}
|}
|}  
 
The '''Chŏndong-class destroyers''' ([[Menghean language|Menghean]]: 천둥급 구축함, ''Chŏndong-gŭb Guchugham'') were a series of {{wp|guided missile destroyer}}s built in [[Menghe]] from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. They are Menghe's most numerous postwar destroyer class in terms of hulls built, though the [[Haeju-class destroyer]]s are the most numerous among hulls still in service.


Like contemporary destroyer classes in the [[Federation of Socialist Republics]], they were primarily designed around anti-surface warfare, and carried a powerful main battery of supersonic anti-ship missiles. Conversely, their anti-submarine armament was relatively poor, and their anti-air armament was limited to short-range self-defense. Compared to the FSR's destroyers, they were also smaller and more compact, with reduced endurance at sea, optimized for rapid sortie missions rather than prolonged operations at sea.
The '''Chŏndong-class destroyers''' were a group of fourteen warships built in [[Menghe]] during the 1980s and early 1990s. They are designed around anti-surface warfare, carrying a heavy main battery of eight [[YDH-23]] anti-ship missiles and a [[HP-130/2 Type 82]] twin 130mm main gun. Their anti-aircraft armament, however, is limited to short-range point defense, and their anti-submarine armament is also relatively weak. Ships of the class have no helicopter facilities, and are entirely reliant on land-based aircraft or aircraft from nearby warships for targeting.


Owing to their small size and constrained role, they are sometimes described as {{wp|frigate}}s; a few foreign intelligence services have remarked that in terms of role, they more closely resembled large corvettes. At the time of their construction, Menghean sources formally classified them as "Attack Destroyers" (''Gonggyŏk Guchugham''), but they were reclassified to destroyer status in 2006.
Owing to their small size and lack of helicopter facilities, the Chŏndong class are sometimes described as {{wp|frigate}}s.  A few foreign intelligence services have remarked that in terms of role, they more closely resemble large {{wp|corvette}}s. The Menghean Navy officially classifies them as "missile destroyers" (''Yudotan Guchugham''), in contrast to the contemporary [[Yobu-class destroyer]]s, which are classified as "escort ships" (''Howiham'').


==Development==
==Development==
During the 1970s and 1980s, the [[Democratic People's Republic of Menghe]] faced pressing security threats from the Organized States of Columbia to the west and [[New Oyashima]] to the east. Its previous naval buildup had been ambitious, and included the construction of two light aircraft carriers, yet the Menghean People's Navy was still far behind its Columbian and Oyashimese counterparts in terms of fleet size and individual ship capability. To compensate for this shortcoming, in the late 1970s the Ministry of Defense ordered the development of a new warship optimized for anti-shipping missions.
The Chŏndong class are direct successors to the [[Nunbora-class destroyer]]s, which likewise carried heavy {{wp|anti-ship missile|AShM}} and gun armament but had poor anti-air and anti-submarine capability. Menghean naval planners envisioned sending them out in groups of four, led by a [[Yobu-class destroyer]], to launch coordinated missile strikes against enemy {{wp|carrier battle group}}s.


===Design process===
===Design===
The resulting design was primarily the work of '''Jin Gi-tae''', the chief naval architect at the 55th Naval Institute. Rejecting earlier proposals that had called for a large and flexible destroyer, Jin insisted on a compact, efficient warship built around a clear mission. This choice was a function of Menghe's military needs at the time: facing two opponents with greater industrial capacity, Jin Gi-tae believed that the only way to balance in national defense was to create a warship that could be produced in large numbers and easily maintained. This meant restricting features and capabilities superfluous to the core mission's needs.
[[Image:GY_Chŏndong_1985_200721.png|300px|thumb|left|Three-view blueprint of the Plan 272 design. During construction, the centerline crane was removed and the aft funnel was shortened, along with other minor changes.]]
The design was primarily the work of '''Jin Gi-tae''', the chief naval architect at the Naval Design Institute. Rejecting earlier proposals that had called for a large and flexible destroyer, Jin insisted on a compact, efficient warship built around a clear mission. This choice was a function of Menghe's military needs at the time: facing two opponents with greater industrial capacity, Jin Gi-tae believed that the only way to balance in national defense was to create a warship that could be produced in large numbers and easily maintained. This meant restricting features and capabilities superfluous to the core mission's needs.


During the design phase, Menghean naval architects consulted extensively with military advisors from the [[Federation of Socialist Republics]], both for overall ship design and the individual electronic systems involved. The ships' gas-turbine engines were imported from the FSR, as Menghe lacked the necessary facilities to manufacture high-performance turbines independently, and the anti-ship missiles were domestically produced copies of FSR weapons and incorporated a number of imported components. In terms of their overall configuration, the Chŏndong class loosely resembled contemporary Letnevian destroyer classes, though Jin Gi-tae's revisions heavily reduced the displacement.
The design went through several iterations, each time decreasing in tonnage. Even smaller versions were considered, sacrificing, for example, the aft surface-to-air missile mount. Other problems concerned the powerplant. Jin Gi-tae originally hoped to install gas turbine propulsion in a {{wp|combined diesel or gas|CODOG}} arrangement, for a high maximum speed and fuel-efficient cruising. Technological constraints, however, limited Menghe to the use of a {{wp|steam turbine}} plant, which in turn was derived from that on the Yobu class.


===Construction===
===Construction===
The first hull was laid down in 1981, and commissioned in 1985. Built under conditions of considerable secrecy, its name was not known in the West, and OSN intelligence officials tentatively termed it the '''Wihae-class''' after the fishing town where it was first spotted on satellite images.
The final iteration of the design, designated '''Plan 272''', was approved for mass production by the [[Ministry of National Defense (Menghe)|MoND]], with the first hull laid down in March 1982. Construction was carried out under conditions of considerable secrecy, with the final fitting-out conducted in the city of Wihae rather than Gyŏngsan where the drydocks were located. For this reason, [[Dayashina|Dayashinese]] intelligence officials originally labeled the destroyer as the '''Wihae class'''.


Construction work was complicated by Menghe's first nuclear test in November 1984, which officially placed Menghe in violation of the [[Septentrion_Treaty_Against_The_Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Armaments|STAPNA agreement]]. Facing an embargo with its few remaining trading partners, including the FSR, Menghe was unable to secure key components for the hulls still under construction. Enough turbines had been imported for five hulls, but planned construction called for at least ten in total, and since then the security threat had worsened.
Construction work was complicated by Menghe's first nuclear test in November 1984, which officially placed Menghe in violation of the [[Septentrion_Treaty_Against_The_Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Armaments|STAPNA agreement]]. Faced with an embargo with its few remaining trading partners, including [[Polvokia]], Menghe encountered delays in securing key components for the hulls still under construction. Economic dislocation under [[Ryŏ Ho-jun]]'s ill-conceived reforms also disrupted supply chains, even as the Navy fought to limit interference in shipyard operations.


In July 1986, the Politburo inquired about the possibility of modifying the design to rely on steam turbine propulsion, which had been used on the Taepung and Angae classes. Jin Gi-tae strongly objected, as this would not only severely curtail performance but would also require a major re-design of the engine compartment. After a prolonged argument against visiting Party officials, Jin was relieved of his post and handed a prison sentence. His successor did, in fact, design a Chŏndong derivative with steam-turbine propulsion, but construction never started due to the growing political turmoil of 1987.
At the same time, the worsening geopolitical situation led the Menghean Navy to launch the Second Emergency Shipbuilding Program, stepping up new orders of Chŏndong-class warships to confront the increasing risk of an enemy attack. The Gyŏngsan 2 drydock, originally intended for cruisers and large destroyers, was appropriated for Chŏndong construction, and the Kimhae Naval Yard took on additional orders. Some documents from the period suggest that the DPRM intended to build a total of 25 Chŏndong-class warships, more than any postwar destroyer class.


After the [[Decembrist Revolution]], the international embargo on Menghe was lifted, and construction of the remaining ships resumed. Jin Gi-tae was freed from prison, but chose to retire from the military design industry, leaving the Chŏndong program to his subordinates. [[Choe Sŭng-min]] was reportedly very favorable toward the ships' efficient design, and once the two remaining hulls in drydock were finished, he ordered the construction of six more, this time built to a modified standard. Politics played a major role in the class's continuation, as Menghe's security threat from New Oyashima had declined, and the country now had easier access to more advanced naval equipment.
After the [[Decembrist Revolution]], the Second Emergency Shipbuilding Program was slowed down, and the military budget was decreased. The eight ships which remained in various states of construction in 1988 were completed on a reduced schedule, and three additional ships were laid down after 1989, all of them at Gyŏngsan. Later construction included careful inspections for faulty parts installed during rushed building, and both ''Chŏndong'' and ''Swaejŏn'' were drydocked in 1989-1990 to identify and replace faulty parts and welds. The basic design, however, was not modified during this stage, though there was some discussion of building the last two ships with helicopter facilities.


==Design==
==Description (as built)==
===Main armament===
===Main armament===
The core armament of the Chŏndong-class destroyers was a powerful forward-facing battery of eight YDH-25 supersonic anti-ship missiles, four on each side of the bridge. These were copied from a {{wp|P-270_Moskit|Letnevian design}}, and had a top speed of Mach 3, with a maximum range of 120 kilometers on an all-low trajectory. New missiles imported in 1992 extended this range to 240 kilometers through the use of a more efficient engine and a mid-low trajectory. During the sea-skimming final approach, the supersonic missiles would leave the target with under 30 seconds between detection and impact.
[[Image:GY-216_Chŏndong_1985_2022-01-08.png|400px|thumb|right|GY-216 ''Chŏndong'' as she appeared shortly after commissioning.]]
[[Image:YDH-23.png|400px|thumb|right|The [[YDH-23]]JG supersonic anti-ship missile, top left, with wings folded and boosters fitted.]]
As built, the Chŏndong-class destroyers carried a powerful forward-facing battery of eight [[YDH-23]]JG "Yusŏng" anti-ship missiles. A surface-launched derivative of the [[Letnia]]n {{wp|KSR-5}}, the YDH-23 follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory toward the target, climbing to an altitude of 25 to 30 kilometers before descending at a terminal speed of Mach 4. While it has a maximum range of 280 kilometers when air-launched (500 kilometers for improved variants), the surface-launched variant has a range of only 200 kilometers due to the loss of fuel while ascending through denser low-altitude air.


Readying the missiles for launch took over one minute, a longer time than on the FSR's warships, with an additional 15 seconds between ready status and launch. The launchers themselves could only fire missiles at 10-second intervals, but this could be reduced to 5 by alternating between port and starboard batteries; total time to fire a full salvo was in theory just 40 seconds, but could be longer with a less prepared crew. The missiles could only engage targets 60 degrees to either side of the bow, requiring the ship to face toward its target during the launch phase.
Readying these missiles for launch could take over two minutes, a longer time than on Letnian warships, with an additional 15 seconds between ready status and launch. The launchers themselves could only fire missiles at 10-second intervals, but this could be reduced to 5 by alternating between port and starboard batteries. Total time to fire a full salvo was in theory just 40 seconds, but could be longer with a less prepared crew. The missiles could only engage targets 30 degrees to either side of the bow, requiring the ship to face toward its target during the launch phase.


===Other armament===
===Other armament===
The ships' forward-facing gun mount was a twin-barrel, 130mm HP-130/2 81-nyŏn, different from the HP-130/2 67-nyŏn on the Taepung-class destroyers. It had an improved autoloading system, and could fire at a maximum rate of 20 rounds per minute per barrel. In addition to surface targets, it could also engage aircraft and incoming missiles with the help of an improved fire-control system.
Gun armament consists of a single [[HP-130/2 Type 82]] twin 130mm gun mount. This weapon system was designed specifically for the Chŏndong class, and boasts improved traverse performance and a higher rate of fire than the SM-2-1 mount on the [[Nunbora-class destroyer|Nunbora class]]. It is capable of engaging ships, land targets, aircraft, and incoming anti-ship missiles, using contact, timed, or proximity fuses. Special guided rounds and submunition rounds were also later introduced.


For self-defense against aircraft, the type carried two twin-arm launchers for the {{wp|9K33_Osa#Missiles|YDG-32}} SAM. Each launcher carried 20 missiles in a carousel arrangement below the deck, and could automatically reload in a 20-second process. With a range of 15 kilometers, the missiles were limited to short-range defense, and even then they were constrained by the launcher's reloading time. Additional anti-aircraft / anti-missile armament came in the form of four [[GBM-30/6#GBM-30.2F6|GBM-30/6}} {{wp|CIWS}} guns, two on either side. These offered good protection along the sides and rear, but had a 60-degree blind spot over the ship's forward arc, which was only covered by the 130mm turret and YDG-32 launcher.
Close-range gun armament consists of four {{wp|AK-630}} {{wp|close-in weapon system|CIWS}} guns, two on each side. The forward pair are slightly further outboard than the aft pair, allowing both mounts to fire directly aft. Combined with the superstructure layout, this arrangement also creates a blind spot in CIWS coverage at 15 degrees to either side of the ship's prow. Air defense over this arc depends entirely on the main gun and surface-to-air missiles.


For anti-submarine operations, the ships relied on two pairs of traversing 533mm torpedo tubes, which could be used to fire sonar-guided torpedoes or the RDJH-3 anti-submarine rocket. Two [[RBDJ-21_series#RBDJ-21.2F12|RBDJ-21/12]] rocket-propelled depth charge projectors on the quarterdeck provided close-range anti-submarine defense, but were restricted to a small magazine by their location.
The surface-to-air missile armament, like the gun mount, was designed specifically for the Chŏndong class. Originally, it consisted of two launch modules for the [[YDG-36]] surface-to-air missile. Each module consists of an eight-box launch unit, plus 24 reload missiles stored below deck. Each mount can cover a 270-degree arc, resulting in full 360-degree coverage with overlapping coverage to either side. Each mount carries a combination of radar-guided and infrared-homing missiles, for greater redundancy against countermeasures, jamming, and poor atmospheric conditions, and each of the four radar illumination antennas can guide two missiles toward one target at maximum. Post-launch trials and operational service revealed that the YDG-36 had very poor accuracy and reliability, and during refits these mounts were replaced with the Subisu combined-gun-and-missile CIWS.
 
Anti-submarine armament consists of two three-tube 450mm torpedo launchers, one on either side of the forward funnel. Sources disagree on whether reloads are usually carried. Further aft are two {{wp|RBU-6000}} depth charge rocket projectors, which can also throw sonar decoys to distract incoming homing torpedoes. Because the ships lack any kind of {{wp|Sonar#Anti-submarine_warfare|variable depth sonar}}, they cannot detect submarines below the {{wp|thermocline}} except at very short ranges, and their anti-submarine weapons are purely intended for self-defense.


===Sensors and electronics===
===Sensors and electronics===
The early Chŏndong-class destroyers carried two radar units: one HR-200 3D search radar on the forward mast, and one HR-110 VHF-band air-search radar using {{wp|Yagi–Uda_antenna|Yagi antennas}}. This provided some measure of redundancy in the event that one radar unit was damaged. Both radar systems considerably out-ranged the ship's own YDG-32 surface-to-air missiles, and mainly existed to provide early warning about incoming aircraft.
The first group of Chŏndong-class destroyers (''Chŏndong'' through ''Pado'') were fitted with two HR-210 3D air search radars, one on each mast. The two-radar layout, also present on the Nunboras, was intended to provide a measure of redundancy in the event that one radar is damaged in battle or taken down for maintenance. On ''Hongsu'' onward, these are replaced by HR-270 3D search radars, a licensed version of the MR-710 Fregat ("Top Plate") radar on [[Letnia]]n ships. The new radar type was also fitted to the early-production hulls during their mid-life refits.


The ships' only anti-submarine detection system was a single sonar bulge in the bow; early models lacked any form of variable-depth or towed-array sonar. This severely constrained their effectiveness in anti-submarine warfare, limiting them to anti-surface missions unless the onboard helicopter was dedicated to searching for submarines.
Atop the bridge is a more impressive [[HR-280]] surface search radar, located inside a large radio-transparent dome. This J-band system exploits {{wp|atmospheric duct}}ing to detect surface targets beyond the regular {{wp|radar horizon}}, and has both active and passive modes. Its long range allows the Chŏndong class to generate firing solutions for the YDH-23 anti-ship missile even without support from aerial reconnaissance aircraft, though such aircraft would normally be part of a coordinated strike operation.


===Aircraft facilities===
The ships' only sonar equipment is a single "Plamina-S" antenna in a bulge under the bow. The ships carry no variable-depth or towed-array sonar, and cannot embark helicopters for area search operations.
Early proposals for the Chŏndong-class featured a helicopter hangar on the stern, later moved amidships, but Jin Gi-tae opposed this feature on the basis that Chŏndong-class destroyers would mainly be operating close to shore and would have support from coastal aviation. Eventually, designers compromised on a single helipad with no hangar and only minimal support facilities. This allowed helicopters to temporarily land aboard Chŏndong-class ships to refuel, re-arm, switch out crews, and conduct basic maintenance, but did not allow the ships to support them during prolonged operations or in severe weather.


The helicopters used, GHJ-28s, were capable of conducting anti-submarine search missions, filling in for the ships' lack of variable-depth sonar, but in practice helicopters assigned to these ships were usually tasked with surface-search missions to locate targets for the ships' own heavy AShMs.
A modest electronic warfare suite with two active jamming antennas provides defense against incoming anti-ship missiles. There are also two amidships chaff-and-smoke projectors to interfere in missile guidance systems; these were upgraded during refits as well.


==Chŏndong-II subclass==
==Refits and subclasses==
[[Image:GY-222 Hongsu 1990.png|400px|thumb|right|GY-222 ''Hongsu'', the first ship completed to the modified configuration, as she appeared in 1990.]]
[[Image:GY-221_Bŏmram_2005_2022-01-08.png|400px|thumb|right|GY-221 ''Bŏmram'' as she appeared during the Battle of the Aqaba Sea, showing the "Chŏndong Ia" refit.]]
[[Image:GY-224_Josu_2007_2022-01-08.png|400px|thumb|right|GY-224 ''Josu'' in 2007, with [[Subisu CIWS]] in place of the YDG-36 launchers.]]
[[Image:GY-227_Ho-u_2009_2022-01-08.png|400px|thumb|right|GY-227 ''Ho-u'', one of three ships rebuilt with Mk 41 VLS cells and Dungji CIWS. Until the early 2010s, her VLS cells could only fire the YDG-7G surface-to-air missile.]]
The first six ships in the class, GY-216 ''Chŏndong'' through GY-221 ''Bŏmram'', were built to the original blueprints, with two HR-210 air search radar sets. This layout was intended to confer some degree of redundancy, in the event that one air search radar set was damaged in battle or taken down for maintenance.
 
After the [[Decembrist Revolution]], Menghe was able to purchase newer MR-710 Fregat ("Top Plate") radar sets under the Menghean designation HR-270. This system was mounted on GY-222 ''Hongsu'' and the ships commissioned after her. Because the MR-710 was more reliable--and more expensive--these ships only received one air search radar each, mounted on an effectively identical mast structure. The aft mast was replaced by a simpler tripod design with a platform for a signal lamp operator. Foreign navies referred to these ships as the '''Chŏndong II''' subclass, though this designation does not appear in any Menghean sources; curiously, the Menghean Navy did not designate the ''Hongsu'' group as an independent subclass.
 
In 2000, the Menghean Navy began work on GY-216's mid-life refit and overhaul. This included the following changes:
* The YDH-23 launch boxes were replaced by launch tubes for the YDH-25, Menghe's license-produced version of the {{wp|P-270 Moskit}}. Though it has a shorter range, a lower speed, and a smaller warhead, the YDH-25 can follow a {{wp|sea skimming}} trajectory all the way to the target, making it harder to detect and intercept. Later Menghean variants of the YDH-25 would also boast improved performance, including the ability to perform pseudo-random evasive maneuvers on the final approach.
* The forward HR-210 radar was replaced by a HR-270 (MR-710 Fregat) radar, and the aft MR-210 radar was replaced by a signal lamp, though the sturdier aft mast was retained, carrying forward an aesthetic difference from the Chŏndong-II group.
* Chaff and smoke projectors were added, and the older parachute-jammer launch tubes were removed.
* The original JJ-5/6 ESM/ECM suite was replaced by the JJ-7/8 ESM/ECM suite. Though already somewhat dated for the 2000s, the JJ-7/8 system was more powerful and incorporated a number of new features, such as the ability to detect and classify anti-ship missiles by their radar emissions and automatically assign JJ-7 jammers to each threat.
* The fire-control radars for the 30mm CIWS mounts were upgraded.
* The ships were fitted with solid cargo CONREP kingposts just aft of the forward funnel, and liquid CONREP receptacles port and starboard of the aft missile magazine.
The original steam turbine powerplant was not replaced by a diesel powerplant, as some proposals had suggested, but the boilers and turbines were inspected and thoroughly refurbished. The YDG-36 launch boxes were also retained, despite growing concerns about the system's obsolescence, based on a judgment that newer surface-to-air missile systems were not yet in service. Engineers reportedly considered fitting the ships with SATCOM domes as well, but turned down the idea based on a judgment that there was too little space available. Foreign sources refer to the five ships refitted this way as the '''Chŏndong Ia''' group.
 
Following the Battle of the Aqaba Sea, part of the [[Ummayan Civil War]], the Menghean Navy altered its refit plans for the Chŏndong class. GY-222 ''Hongsu'' and GY-224 through GY-229 were rebuilt to a modified standard: [[Subisu CIWS]] mounts replaced the YDG-36 launchers. This refit was long in the making, as the Subisu CIWS's below-deck space was specifically tailored to have the same dimensions as the YDH-36 magazine to allow precisely this kind of drop-in replacement, yet the losses of GY-221 ''Bŏmram'' and GY-223 ''Noesŏng'' expedited the design process. The new Subisu CIWS mounts obviated the need for the AK-630 CIWS mounts, so these were removed, with their deck space replaced by Baram-2 countermeasure launchers and their magazine space replaced by expanded crew accommodations. They also obviated the need for YDG-36 illumination radars: the forward pair on the sides of the bridge were removed along with their supporting braces and electronics boxes, and the aft pair on the aft mast were replaced by SATCOM domes. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as '''Chŏndong IIa''', though Menghean sources generally refer to them as the "''Hongsu'' refit group."
 
The Subisu CIWS drop-in upgrade was deemed urgent enough that GY-216 through GY-221 were all sent back into refits in 2006 to have their YDG-36 launchers replaced. For GY-221 ''Bŏmram'', this came just two years after she completed her original pre-Subisu mid-life refit. The first batch of ships emerged from this refit with identical capabilities to the ''Hongsu'' refit group; they differ only in the appearance of their aft masts. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as '''Chŏndong Ib'''.
 
GY-227 ''Ho-u'', GY-228 ''Dolpung'', and GY-229 ''Pokpung'' underwent refits one year after the rest of the ships in the class, in 2007-2008. They were completed to a more advanced configuration: the YDG-36 magazines were replaced by self-defense-length {{wp|Mark 41 Vertical Launching System|Mk 41 VLS}} modules, with non-deck-penetrating [[GBM-23/5_Bulkkot#GBM-23.2F5Y_Dungji|GBM-23/5Y Dungji]] CIWS mounts fore and aft of the VLS cells. The resulting 32 self-defense-length VLS cells were originally meant to be loaded with individual [[YGG-7 Hwasal|YDG-7G]] surface-to-air missiles, but the introduction of the quadpacked YDG-7N and [[YDG-64]] allowed for a major expansion in magazine capacity, with some cells instead loaded with vertically launched [[YDH-26]] anti-ship missiles. As on the previous refits, the forward AK-630 mounts were replaced by Baram-2 chaff and smoke launchers, but the aft AK-630 mounts were instead replaced by STIR 1.2 guidance radars atop deckhouses containing control stations and electronics. The YDG-36 illuminators on the sides of the bridge were also replaced by STIR 1.2 illuminators. Other Hongsu-group refits were also carried forward to these three ships, including the new electronic warfare suite, the underway replenishment gear, and the MR-710 Fregat radar. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as '''Chŏndong III''', and some Menghean sources refer to them as the Ho-u subclass.
 
Over the course of the 2010s, all of Menghe's surviving Chŏndongs received minor upgrades and improvements, though none of these merited new class designations in Menghean or foreign literature. By the outbreak of the [[Second Pan-Septentrion War]] in 2022, additional improvements to the Chŏndongs included the following:
* Yŏjŏm {{wp|Free-space optical communication|FSO}} datalinks, fitted to the aft mast.
* Unidentified SIGINT gear, also fitted to the aft mast.
* Radar decoy buoy projectors, installed in two launchers with two reloads aft of the second funnel on GY-216 through GY-226 and in four launchers with no reloads on GY-227 through GY-229.
* On the Ho-u group, software upgrades to accept the YDG-7N, YDG-64, YDH-26, and SY-26 missiles.
The manual signal lamps were also removed at some point after the [[Innominadan Crisis]]. On some ships, the signal lamp on the aft platform was replaced by a civilian satellite television dome.


==Service==
==Service==
During the [[Ummayan Civil War]], Chŏndong-class destroyers played a prominent role in the [[Ummayan_Civil_War#Battle_of_the_Aqaba_Sea|Battle of the Aqaba Sea]], with three destroyers in the 5th Surface Strike Group taking part in the attack: GCh-225 ''Nunbora'', GCh-229 ''Bŏngae'', and GCh-234 ''Dolpung''. In total, the vessels fired 24 anti-ship missiles before turning back, but only landed three hits, according to [[Tiperyn|Tiperyni]] records of the engagement. Poor coordination with AEW and maritime patrol aircraft contributed to this poor performance, which also convinced the Menghean Navy to revise its anti-carrier strike doctrine.
During the [[Ummayan Civil War]], Chŏndong-class destroyers played a prominent role in the [[Ummayan_Civil_War#Battle_of_the_Aqaba_Sea|Battle of the Aqaba Sea]].


In the fighting that followed, two Chŏndong-class destroyers in the task force were lost. The ''Bŏngae'' succumbed to air-launched anti-ship missiles on the afternoon of the 14th, while the ''Nunbora'' (pictured at top) was damaged in the aerial attack yet remained afloat. Despite damage to the rear superstructure, it was able to retreat under its own power, but began experiencing engine problems overnight. During the early dawn hours of March 15th, it was struck by a torpedo from a Tiperyni submarine, and split in half directly beneath the funnel. As all ships in the formation were maintaining radio silence, and the captain had no time to send a distress signal, the ship's loss went unnoticed among the ships further ahead until 1103 hours when a patrol helicopter sent from the ''Dolpung'' failed to locate the ''Nunbora''.
In the fighting that followed, two Chŏndong-class destroyers in the task force were lost. The ''Bŏmram'' succumbed to air-launched anti-ship missiles on the afternoon of the 14th, while the ''Noesŏng'' was damaged in the aerial attack yet remained afloat. Despite damage to the rear superstructure, she was able to retreat under its own power, but began experiencing engine problems overnight. During the early dawn hours of March 15th, ''Noesŏng'' was struck by a torpedo from an Anglian submarine, and split in half directly beneath the funnel. As all ships in the formation were maintaining radio silence, and the captain had no time to send a distress signal, the ship's loss went unnoticed among the ships further ahead until 1103 hours when a patrol helicopter sent from the ''Migi'' failed to locate her.


Later on the 15th, an Oyashimese destroyer arrived to pick up the survivors. This move was a major step in cementing Menghe-Oyashimese friendship. A monument to the ''Nunbora'' was built in the city of Hamyang in 2008, and the captain of the Oyashimese ship was invited to the unveiling ceremony, where he was greeted by the survivors.
Later on the 15th, a [[Dayashina|Dayashinese]] destroyer arrived to pick up the survivors. This move was a major step in cementing Menghe-Dayashinese relations. A monument to the ''Noesŏng'' was built in the city of Yanggang in 2008, and the captain of the Dayashinese ship was invited to the unveiling ceremony, where he was greeted by the survivors.


The wreck of the ''Nunbora'' today lies within [[Ummayah]]'s {{wp|exclusive economic zone}}, but as a signal of gratitude, the Ummayan government in 2010 allowed Menghean salvage vessels to conduct dives over the ship's hull. The helm, recovered intact from the bridge, was brought to the surface and transported to the monument at Hamyang, after serving as a two-year temporary display in Gyŏngsan. The recovery team also claimed to have brought up the remains of Captain Ho Tae-su, cremating them for use at a [[Chŏndoism#S.C5.8Fngindan|Sŏngindan]] in his hometown of Hwaju. Some skeptics have questioned the official explanation of the recovery, charging that the description of Captain Ho "still standing at the helm" was unlikely and that the ashes used were false.
The wreck of the ''Noesŏng'' today lies within [[Ummayah]]'s {{wp|exclusive economic zone}}, but as a signal of gratitude, the Ummayan government in 2010 allowed Menghean salvage vessels to conduct dives over the ship's hull. The helm, recovered intact from the bridge, was brought to the surface and transported to the monument at Yanggang, after serving as a two-year temporary display in Gyŏngsan. The recovery team also claimed to have brought up the remains of Captain Ho Tae-su, cremating them for use at a [[Chŏndoism#S.C5.8Fngindan|Sŏngindan]] in his hometown of Hwasŏng. Some skeptics have questioned the official explanation of the recovery, charging that the description of Captain Ho "still standing at the helm" was unlikely and that the ashes used were not his.


==Ships in the class==
==Ships in the class==
Because construction began during the 1980s, ships in the Chŏndong class were named after weather systems, in keeping with ship naming conventions in the Menghean People's Navy. This practice persisted after the [[Decembrist Revolution]]. Subsequent destroyer classes, such as the [[Emil-si class destroyer]]s and [[Haeju-class destroyer]]s, were instead named for cities.
Ships in the Chŏndong class are named after weather systems, in keeping with ship naming conventions in the Menghean People's Navy. This again contrasts them with the [[Yobu-class destroyer]]s (officially escort ships), which were named after Menghean prefectures, and the [[Pyŏng'an-class destroyer|Pyŏng'ans]] and their successors, which were named after Menghean cities.
 
Ship numbers marked with an apostrophe (*) are of the Chŏndong-II subclass.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Hull number
! Name                 !! Meaning         !! Builder  !! Laid down  !! Launched   !! Commissioned !! Status
! Name
! Sinmun
! Meaning
! Launched
! Commissioned
! Status
|-
|-
| GCh-218
| Chŏndong            || Thunderclap    || Gyŏngsan || 1982 Mar 25 || 1983 Dec 23 || 1985 Jul 06 || --
| Chŏndong
| 천동
| Thunder
| 19 December 1982
| 17 April 1984
| Museum ship 2015
|-
|-
| GCh-220
| Donghan              || Bitter cold    || Gyŏngsan || 1983 Feb 12 || 1984 Sep 24 || 1986 Apr 06 || --
| Hoeuri
| 회우리
| Whirlwind
| 24 November 1983
| 11 February 1985
| Scrapped 2017
|-
|-
| GCh-222
| Swaejŏn              || Chain lightning || Gyŏngsan || 1983 Apr 06 || 1985 Apr 18 || 1987 Nov 05 || --
| Mulgyŏl
| 물결
| Wave
| 12 March 1984
| 7 October 1985
| Scrapped 2016
|-
|-
| GCh-223
| Pado                || Wave            || Gyŏngsan || 1984 Jan 04 || 1985 Aug 18 || 1988 Oct 31 || --
| Pungrang
| 풍랑
| Storm
| 6 January 1985
| 23 August 1986
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-225
| Pungrang            || Stormy waves    || Kimhae  || 1984 Mar 28 || 1985 Oct 21 || 1988 Apr 22 || --
| Nunbora
| 눈보라
| Snowstorm
| 30 September 1985
| 11 November 1987
| Sunk 2005
|-
|-
| GCh-226
| Bŏmram              || Deluge          || Gyŏngsan || 1984 Sep 31 || 1986 May 02 || 1989 Oct 17 || Sunk by Anglian aircraft on 17 Mar 2005
| Noesŏng
| 뇌성
| Thunderclap
| 14 August 1988
| 27 December 1989
| Scrapped 2017
|-
|-
| GCh-227
| Hongsu              || Flood          || Gyŏngsan || 1985 Apr 29 || 1987 Jul 01 || 1990 Jun 30 || --
| Ubak
| 우박
| Hail
| 13 May 1989
| 1 September 1990
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-228*
| Noesŏng              || Thunder        || Gyŏngsan || 1985 Aug 25 || 1988 Mar 04 || 1990 Dec 18 || Sunk by Anglian submarine on 18 Mar 2005
| Sona-gi
| 소나기
| Sudden rain
| 20 February 1991
| 5 October 1992
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-229*
| Josu                || Tide            || Kimhae  || 1985 Oct 27 || 1987 Sep 03 || 1990 Feb 10 || --
| Bŏngae
| 번개
| Lightning
| 21 November 1991
| 4 July 1993
| Sunk 2005
|-
|-
| GCh-230*
| Ubak                || Hailstorm      || Gyŏngsan || 1986 May 09 || 1988 Jul 18 || 1992 Jan 25 || --
| Kŭn-bi
| 큰비
| Heavy rain
| 13 March 1993
| 12 September 1994
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-231*
| Ilchul               || Sunrise         || Gyŏngsan || 1987 Jul 12 || 1990 Feb 13 || 1991 Oct 14 || --
| Ilchul
| 일출
| Sunrise
| 14 June 1993
| 14 February 1995
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-232*
| Ho-u                 || Downpour        || Gyŏngsan || 1990 Feb 21 || 1991 Nov 12 || 1993 Jun 29 || --
| Ho-u
| 호우
| Torrential rain
| 4 September 1996
| 12 March 1998
| Active
|-
|-
| GCh-234*
| Dolpung              || Squall          || Gyŏngsan || 1991 Jan 13 || 1992 Aug 27 || 1994 Mar 09 || --
| Dolpung
|-
| 돌풍
| Taepung              || Typhoon        || Gyŏngsan || 1992 Sep 02 || 1994 Jun 28 || 1995 Nov 01 || --
| Squall
| 15 December 1997
| 22 June 1999
| Museum ship 2014
|}
|}


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Emil-si class destroyer]]
 
*[[Yŏngbŏk-class frigate]]
{{Menghean postwar warship classes}}


[[Category:Menghe]]
[[Category:Menghe]]

Latest revision as of 19:04, 8 January 2022

Class overview
Builders:
Operators: Menghe
Preceded by: Nunbora-class destroyer
Succeeded by: none
Built: 1982-1995
In commission: 1985-present
Completed: 14
Lost: 2
General characteristics (as built)
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 3,300 tons standard
  • 4,540 tons full load
Length:
  • 128.7 m overall
  • 119.1 m at waterline
Beam: 13.1 m at waterline
Draught: 4.87 m to keel
Propulsion:
  • steam turbine propulsion
  • 4 high-pressure boilers
  • 75,000 shp
Speed: 34 knots
Range: 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 18 knots
Complement:
  • 20 officers
  • 223 enlisted crew
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 2 × HR-210 air-search radar
  • HR-280 surface-search radar
  • Ŭ-12 hull sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 2 × JJ-5 ECM antenna
Armament:

The Chŏndong-class destroyers were a group of fourteen warships built in Menghe during the 1980s and early 1990s. They are designed around anti-surface warfare, carrying a heavy main battery of eight YDH-23 anti-ship missiles and a HP-130/2 Type 82 twin 130mm main gun. Their anti-aircraft armament, however, is limited to short-range point defense, and their anti-submarine armament is also relatively weak. Ships of the class have no helicopter facilities, and are entirely reliant on land-based aircraft or aircraft from nearby warships for targeting.

Owing to their small size and lack of helicopter facilities, the Chŏndong class are sometimes described as frigates. A few foreign intelligence services have remarked that in terms of role, they more closely resemble large corvettes. The Menghean Navy officially classifies them as "missile destroyers" (Yudotan Guchugham), in contrast to the contemporary Yobu-class destroyers, which are classified as "escort ships" (Howiham).

Development

The Chŏndong class are direct successors to the Nunbora-class destroyers, which likewise carried heavy AShM and gun armament but had poor anti-air and anti-submarine capability. Menghean naval planners envisioned sending them out in groups of four, led by a Yobu-class destroyer, to launch coordinated missile strikes against enemy carrier battle groups.

Design

Three-view blueprint of the Plan 272 design. During construction, the centerline crane was removed and the aft funnel was shortened, along with other minor changes.

The design was primarily the work of Jin Gi-tae, the chief naval architect at the Naval Design Institute. Rejecting earlier proposals that had called for a large and flexible destroyer, Jin insisted on a compact, efficient warship built around a clear mission. This choice was a function of Menghe's military needs at the time: facing two opponents with greater industrial capacity, Jin Gi-tae believed that the only way to balance in national defense was to create a warship that could be produced in large numbers and easily maintained. This meant restricting features and capabilities superfluous to the core mission's needs.

The design went through several iterations, each time decreasing in tonnage. Even smaller versions were considered, sacrificing, for example, the aft surface-to-air missile mount. Other problems concerned the powerplant. Jin Gi-tae originally hoped to install gas turbine propulsion in a CODOG arrangement, for a high maximum speed and fuel-efficient cruising. Technological constraints, however, limited Menghe to the use of a steam turbine plant, which in turn was derived from that on the Yobu class.

Construction

The final iteration of the design, designated Plan 272, was approved for mass production by the MoND, with the first hull laid down in March 1982. Construction was carried out under conditions of considerable secrecy, with the final fitting-out conducted in the city of Wihae rather than Gyŏngsan where the drydocks were located. For this reason, Dayashinese intelligence officials originally labeled the destroyer as the Wihae class.

Construction work was complicated by Menghe's first nuclear test in November 1984, which officially placed Menghe in violation of the STAPNA agreement. Faced with an embargo with its few remaining trading partners, including Polvokia, Menghe encountered delays in securing key components for the hulls still under construction. Economic dislocation under Ryŏ Ho-jun's ill-conceived reforms also disrupted supply chains, even as the Navy fought to limit interference in shipyard operations.

At the same time, the worsening geopolitical situation led the Menghean Navy to launch the Second Emergency Shipbuilding Program, stepping up new orders of Chŏndong-class warships to confront the increasing risk of an enemy attack. The Gyŏngsan 2 drydock, originally intended for cruisers and large destroyers, was appropriated for Chŏndong construction, and the Kimhae Naval Yard took on additional orders. Some documents from the period suggest that the DPRM intended to build a total of 25 Chŏndong-class warships, more than any postwar destroyer class.

After the Decembrist Revolution, the Second Emergency Shipbuilding Program was slowed down, and the military budget was decreased. The eight ships which remained in various states of construction in 1988 were completed on a reduced schedule, and three additional ships were laid down after 1989, all of them at Gyŏngsan. Later construction included careful inspections for faulty parts installed during rushed building, and both Chŏndong and Swaejŏn were drydocked in 1989-1990 to identify and replace faulty parts and welds. The basic design, however, was not modified during this stage, though there was some discussion of building the last two ships with helicopter facilities.

Description (as built)

Main armament

GY-216 Chŏndong as she appeared shortly after commissioning.
The YDH-23JG supersonic anti-ship missile, top left, with wings folded and boosters fitted.

As built, the Chŏndong-class destroyers carried a powerful forward-facing battery of eight YDH-23JG "Yusŏng" anti-ship missiles. A surface-launched derivative of the Letnian KSR-5, the YDH-23 follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory toward the target, climbing to an altitude of 25 to 30 kilometers before descending at a terminal speed of Mach 4. While it has a maximum range of 280 kilometers when air-launched (500 kilometers for improved variants), the surface-launched variant has a range of only 200 kilometers due to the loss of fuel while ascending through denser low-altitude air.

Readying these missiles for launch could take over two minutes, a longer time than on Letnian warships, with an additional 15 seconds between ready status and launch. The launchers themselves could only fire missiles at 10-second intervals, but this could be reduced to 5 by alternating between port and starboard batteries. Total time to fire a full salvo was in theory just 40 seconds, but could be longer with a less prepared crew. The missiles could only engage targets 30 degrees to either side of the bow, requiring the ship to face toward its target during the launch phase.

Other armament

Gun armament consists of a single HP-130/2 Type 82 twin 130mm gun mount. This weapon system was designed specifically for the Chŏndong class, and boasts improved traverse performance and a higher rate of fire than the SM-2-1 mount on the Nunbora class. It is capable of engaging ships, land targets, aircraft, and incoming anti-ship missiles, using contact, timed, or proximity fuses. Special guided rounds and submunition rounds were also later introduced.

Close-range gun armament consists of four AK-630 CIWS guns, two on each side. The forward pair are slightly further outboard than the aft pair, allowing both mounts to fire directly aft. Combined with the superstructure layout, this arrangement also creates a blind spot in CIWS coverage at 15 degrees to either side of the ship's prow. Air defense over this arc depends entirely on the main gun and surface-to-air missiles.

The surface-to-air missile armament, like the gun mount, was designed specifically for the Chŏndong class. Originally, it consisted of two launch modules for the YDG-36 surface-to-air missile. Each module consists of an eight-box launch unit, plus 24 reload missiles stored below deck. Each mount can cover a 270-degree arc, resulting in full 360-degree coverage with overlapping coverage to either side. Each mount carries a combination of radar-guided and infrared-homing missiles, for greater redundancy against countermeasures, jamming, and poor atmospheric conditions, and each of the four radar illumination antennas can guide two missiles toward one target at maximum. Post-launch trials and operational service revealed that the YDG-36 had very poor accuracy and reliability, and during refits these mounts were replaced with the Subisu combined-gun-and-missile CIWS.

Anti-submarine armament consists of two three-tube 450mm torpedo launchers, one on either side of the forward funnel. Sources disagree on whether reloads are usually carried. Further aft are two RBU-6000 depth charge rocket projectors, which can also throw sonar decoys to distract incoming homing torpedoes. Because the ships lack any kind of variable depth sonar, they cannot detect submarines below the thermocline except at very short ranges, and their anti-submarine weapons are purely intended for self-defense.

Sensors and electronics

The first group of Chŏndong-class destroyers (Chŏndong through Pado) were fitted with two HR-210 3D air search radars, one on each mast. The two-radar layout, also present on the Nunboras, was intended to provide a measure of redundancy in the event that one radar is damaged in battle or taken down for maintenance. On Hongsu onward, these are replaced by HR-270 3D search radars, a licensed version of the MR-710 Fregat ("Top Plate") radar on Letnian ships. The new radar type was also fitted to the early-production hulls during their mid-life refits.

Atop the bridge is a more impressive HR-280 surface search radar, located inside a large radio-transparent dome. This J-band system exploits atmospheric ducting to detect surface targets beyond the regular radar horizon, and has both active and passive modes. Its long range allows the Chŏndong class to generate firing solutions for the YDH-23 anti-ship missile even without support from aerial reconnaissance aircraft, though such aircraft would normally be part of a coordinated strike operation.

The ships' only sonar equipment is a single "Plamina-S" antenna in a bulge under the bow. The ships carry no variable-depth or towed-array sonar, and cannot embark helicopters for area search operations.

A modest electronic warfare suite with two active jamming antennas provides defense against incoming anti-ship missiles. There are also two amidships chaff-and-smoke projectors to interfere in missile guidance systems; these were upgraded during refits as well.

Refits and subclasses

GY-222 Hongsu, the first ship completed to the modified configuration, as she appeared in 1990.
GY-221 Bŏmram as she appeared during the Battle of the Aqaba Sea, showing the "Chŏndong Ia" refit.
GY-224 Josu in 2007, with Subisu CIWS in place of the YDG-36 launchers.
GY-227 Ho-u, one of three ships rebuilt with Mk 41 VLS cells and Dungji CIWS. Until the early 2010s, her VLS cells could only fire the YDG-7G surface-to-air missile.

The first six ships in the class, GY-216 Chŏndong through GY-221 Bŏmram, were built to the original blueprints, with two HR-210 air search radar sets. This layout was intended to confer some degree of redundancy, in the event that one air search radar set was damaged in battle or taken down for maintenance.

After the Decembrist Revolution, Menghe was able to purchase newer MR-710 Fregat ("Top Plate") radar sets under the Menghean designation HR-270. This system was mounted on GY-222 Hongsu and the ships commissioned after her. Because the MR-710 was more reliable--and more expensive--these ships only received one air search radar each, mounted on an effectively identical mast structure. The aft mast was replaced by a simpler tripod design with a platform for a signal lamp operator. Foreign navies referred to these ships as the Chŏndong II subclass, though this designation does not appear in any Menghean sources; curiously, the Menghean Navy did not designate the Hongsu group as an independent subclass.

In 2000, the Menghean Navy began work on GY-216's mid-life refit and overhaul. This included the following changes:

  • The YDH-23 launch boxes were replaced by launch tubes for the YDH-25, Menghe's license-produced version of the P-270 Moskit. Though it has a shorter range, a lower speed, and a smaller warhead, the YDH-25 can follow a sea skimming trajectory all the way to the target, making it harder to detect and intercept. Later Menghean variants of the YDH-25 would also boast improved performance, including the ability to perform pseudo-random evasive maneuvers on the final approach.
  • The forward HR-210 radar was replaced by a HR-270 (MR-710 Fregat) radar, and the aft MR-210 radar was replaced by a signal lamp, though the sturdier aft mast was retained, carrying forward an aesthetic difference from the Chŏndong-II group.
  • Chaff and smoke projectors were added, and the older parachute-jammer launch tubes were removed.
  • The original JJ-5/6 ESM/ECM suite was replaced by the JJ-7/8 ESM/ECM suite. Though already somewhat dated for the 2000s, the JJ-7/8 system was more powerful and incorporated a number of new features, such as the ability to detect and classify anti-ship missiles by their radar emissions and automatically assign JJ-7 jammers to each threat.
  • The fire-control radars for the 30mm CIWS mounts were upgraded.
  • The ships were fitted with solid cargo CONREP kingposts just aft of the forward funnel, and liquid CONREP receptacles port and starboard of the aft missile magazine.

The original steam turbine powerplant was not replaced by a diesel powerplant, as some proposals had suggested, but the boilers and turbines were inspected and thoroughly refurbished. The YDG-36 launch boxes were also retained, despite growing concerns about the system's obsolescence, based on a judgment that newer surface-to-air missile systems were not yet in service. Engineers reportedly considered fitting the ships with SATCOM domes as well, but turned down the idea based on a judgment that there was too little space available. Foreign sources refer to the five ships refitted this way as the Chŏndong Ia group.

Following the Battle of the Aqaba Sea, part of the Ummayan Civil War, the Menghean Navy altered its refit plans for the Chŏndong class. GY-222 Hongsu and GY-224 through GY-229 were rebuilt to a modified standard: Subisu CIWS mounts replaced the YDG-36 launchers. This refit was long in the making, as the Subisu CIWS's below-deck space was specifically tailored to have the same dimensions as the YDH-36 magazine to allow precisely this kind of drop-in replacement, yet the losses of GY-221 Bŏmram and GY-223 Noesŏng expedited the design process. The new Subisu CIWS mounts obviated the need for the AK-630 CIWS mounts, so these were removed, with their deck space replaced by Baram-2 countermeasure launchers and their magazine space replaced by expanded crew accommodations. They also obviated the need for YDG-36 illumination radars: the forward pair on the sides of the bridge were removed along with their supporting braces and electronics boxes, and the aft pair on the aft mast were replaced by SATCOM domes. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as Chŏndong IIa, though Menghean sources generally refer to them as the "Hongsu refit group."

The Subisu CIWS drop-in upgrade was deemed urgent enough that GY-216 through GY-221 were all sent back into refits in 2006 to have their YDG-36 launchers replaced. For GY-221 Bŏmram, this came just two years after she completed her original pre-Subisu mid-life refit. The first batch of ships emerged from this refit with identical capabilities to the Hongsu refit group; they differ only in the appearance of their aft masts. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as Chŏndong Ib.

GY-227 Ho-u, GY-228 Dolpung, and GY-229 Pokpung underwent refits one year after the rest of the ships in the class, in 2007-2008. They were completed to a more advanced configuration: the YDG-36 magazines were replaced by self-defense-length Mk 41 VLS modules, with non-deck-penetrating GBM-23/5Y Dungji CIWS mounts fore and aft of the VLS cells. The resulting 32 self-defense-length VLS cells were originally meant to be loaded with individual YDG-7G surface-to-air missiles, but the introduction of the quadpacked YDG-7N and YDG-64 allowed for a major expansion in magazine capacity, with some cells instead loaded with vertically launched YDH-26 anti-ship missiles. As on the previous refits, the forward AK-630 mounts were replaced by Baram-2 chaff and smoke launchers, but the aft AK-630 mounts were instead replaced by STIR 1.2 guidance radars atop deckhouses containing control stations and electronics. The YDG-36 illuminators on the sides of the bridge were also replaced by STIR 1.2 illuminators. Other Hongsu-group refits were also carried forward to these three ships, including the new electronic warfare suite, the underway replenishment gear, and the MR-710 Fregat radar. Foreign sources refer to this configuration as Chŏndong III, and some Menghean sources refer to them as the Ho-u subclass.

Over the course of the 2010s, all of Menghe's surviving Chŏndongs received minor upgrades and improvements, though none of these merited new class designations in Menghean or foreign literature. By the outbreak of the Second Pan-Septentrion War in 2022, additional improvements to the Chŏndongs included the following:

  • Yŏjŏm FSO datalinks, fitted to the aft mast.
  • Unidentified SIGINT gear, also fitted to the aft mast.
  • Radar decoy buoy projectors, installed in two launchers with two reloads aft of the second funnel on GY-216 through GY-226 and in four launchers with no reloads on GY-227 through GY-229.
  • On the Ho-u group, software upgrades to accept the YDG-7N, YDG-64, YDH-26, and SY-26 missiles.

The manual signal lamps were also removed at some point after the Innominadan Crisis. On some ships, the signal lamp on the aft platform was replaced by a civilian satellite television dome.

Service

During the Ummayan Civil War, Chŏndong-class destroyers played a prominent role in the Battle of the Aqaba Sea.

In the fighting that followed, two Chŏndong-class destroyers in the task force were lost. The Bŏmram succumbed to air-launched anti-ship missiles on the afternoon of the 14th, while the Noesŏng was damaged in the aerial attack yet remained afloat. Despite damage to the rear superstructure, she was able to retreat under its own power, but began experiencing engine problems overnight. During the early dawn hours of March 15th, Noesŏng was struck by a torpedo from an Anglian submarine, and split in half directly beneath the funnel. As all ships in the formation were maintaining radio silence, and the captain had no time to send a distress signal, the ship's loss went unnoticed among the ships further ahead until 1103 hours when a patrol helicopter sent from the Migi failed to locate her.

Later on the 15th, a Dayashinese destroyer arrived to pick up the survivors. This move was a major step in cementing Menghe-Dayashinese relations. A monument to the Noesŏng was built in the city of Yanggang in 2008, and the captain of the Dayashinese ship was invited to the unveiling ceremony, where he was greeted by the survivors.

The wreck of the Noesŏng today lies within Ummayah's exclusive economic zone, but as a signal of gratitude, the Ummayan government in 2010 allowed Menghean salvage vessels to conduct dives over the ship's hull. The helm, recovered intact from the bridge, was brought to the surface and transported to the monument at Yanggang, after serving as a two-year temporary display in Gyŏngsan. The recovery team also claimed to have brought up the remains of Captain Ho Tae-su, cremating them for use at a Sŏngindan in his hometown of Hwasŏng. Some skeptics have questioned the official explanation of the recovery, charging that the description of Captain Ho "still standing at the helm" was unlikely and that the ashes used were not his.

Ships in the class

Ships in the Chŏndong class are named after weather systems, in keeping with ship naming conventions in the Menghean People's Navy. This again contrasts them with the Yobu-class destroyers (officially escort ships), which were named after Menghean prefectures, and the Pyŏng'ans and their successors, which were named after Menghean cities.

Name Meaning Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
Chŏndong Thunderclap Gyŏngsan 1982 Mar 25 1983 Dec 23 1985 Jul 06 --
Donghan Bitter cold Gyŏngsan 1983 Feb 12 1984 Sep 24 1986 Apr 06 --
Swaejŏn Chain lightning Gyŏngsan 1983 Apr 06 1985 Apr 18 1987 Nov 05 --
Pado Wave Gyŏngsan 1984 Jan 04 1985 Aug 18 1988 Oct 31 --
Pungrang Stormy waves Kimhae 1984 Mar 28 1985 Oct 21 1988 Apr 22 --
Bŏmram Deluge Gyŏngsan 1984 Sep 31 1986 May 02 1989 Oct 17 Sunk by Anglian aircraft on 17 Mar 2005
Hongsu Flood Gyŏngsan 1985 Apr 29 1987 Jul 01 1990 Jun 30 --
Noesŏng Thunder Gyŏngsan 1985 Aug 25 1988 Mar 04 1990 Dec 18 Sunk by Anglian submarine on 18 Mar 2005
Josu Tide Kimhae 1985 Oct 27 1987 Sep 03 1990 Feb 10 --
Ubak Hailstorm Gyŏngsan 1986 May 09 1988 Jul 18 1992 Jan 25 --
Ilchul Sunrise Gyŏngsan 1987 Jul 12 1990 Feb 13 1991 Oct 14 --
Ho-u Downpour Gyŏngsan 1990 Feb 21 1991 Nov 12 1993 Jun 29 --
Dolpung Squall Gyŏngsan 1991 Jan 13 1992 Aug 27 1994 Mar 09 --
Taepung Typhoon Gyŏngsan 1992 Sep 02 1994 Jun 28 1995 Nov 01 --

See also

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