Chunchŏn-class frigate: Difference between revisions
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* [[Ummayah]] | * [[Ummayah]] | ||
|Class before=[[Yechŏn-class frigate]] | |Class before=[[Yechŏn-class frigate]] | ||
|Class after= | |Class after=[[Sŏnsan-class frigate]] | ||
|Subclasses= | |Subclasses= | ||
|Built range=2010-present | |Built range=2010-present | ||
|In commission range=2013-present | |In commission range=2013-present | ||
|Total ships planned= | |Total ships planned=17 | ||
|Total ships on order= | |Total ships on order= | ||
|Total ships building= | |Total ships building=1 | ||
|Total ships completed= | |Total ships completed=18 | ||
|Total ships cancelled= | |Total ships cancelled= | ||
|Total ships active= | |Total ships active=18 | ||
|Total ships laid up= | |Total ships laid up= | ||
|Total ships lost= | |Total ships lost= | ||
| Line 40: | Line 40: | ||
|Ship type={{wp|Frigate}} | |Ship type={{wp|Frigate}} | ||
|Ship displacement= | |Ship displacement= | ||
* 5, | * 5,950 tons full load | ||
|Ship length= | |Ship length= | ||
* 138.2 m overall | * 138.2 m overall | ||
* | * 126.4 m at waterline | ||
|Ship beam= | |Ship beam= | ||
* 17. | * 17.9 m at bridge wings | ||
* 15. | * 15.8 m at waterline | ||
|Ship draught= | |Ship draught= | ||
6.09 m to keel | |||
|Ship draft= | |Ship draft= | ||
|Ship propulsion= * {{wp|combined diesel | |Ship propulsion= * {{wp|combined diesel or gas|CODOG}} | ||
** 2 × {{wp|General Electric LM2500|LM2500+}} turbine (30,200 kW each) | ** 2 × {{wp|General Electric LM2500|LM2500+}} turbine (30,200 kW each) | ||
** | ** 2 × Taesan T16K diesel (6,440 kW each) | ||
** | ** 4 × Samsan 6EY22ALW aux. generator (1,435 kWe each) | ||
* 2 shafts | * 2 shafts | ||
|Ship speed=34 knots | |Ship speed=34 knots | ||
| Line 65: | Line 65: | ||
* AN/SQR-19 {{wp|towed array sonar}} | * AN/SQR-19 {{wp|towed array sonar}} | ||
|Ship EW= | |Ship EW= | ||
* 2 × JJ-9 ESM/ECM | * 2 × JJ-9 ESM/ECM complex | ||
* 2 × D-107 datalink | * 2 × D-107 datalink | ||
* | * 2 × Pigan EO scanner | ||
* 2 × [[Baram_(countermeasure)|Baram-2]] countermeasure launchers | * 2 × [[Baram_(countermeasure)|Baram-2]] countermeasure launchers | ||
* 2 × [[Manhwagyŏng torpedo countermeasure|Manhwagyŏng-H]] torpedo countermeasure launcher | * 2 × [[Manhwagyŏng torpedo countermeasure|Manhwagyŏng-H]] torpedo countermeasure launcher | ||
| Line 75: | Line 75: | ||
** 32 × strike-length cell | ** 32 × strike-length cell | ||
* 8 × [[YDH-29 Chŏngryong]] anti-ship missile | * 8 × [[YDH-29 Chŏngryong]] anti-ship missile | ||
* 2 × [[ | * 2 × [[Subisu CIWS]] | ||
* 2 × 2 350mm torpedo tube | * 2 × 2 350mm torpedo tube | ||
|Ship armour= | |Ship armour= | ||
| Line 86: | Line 86: | ||
|} | |} | ||
The '''Chunchŏn-class frigates''' ([[Menghean language|Menghean]]: 春川級外層護衛艦 / 춘천급 외충 호위함, ''Chunchŏn-gŭb Oechung Howiham'') are a class of guided missile {{wp|frigate}} built in [[Menghe]]. Developed as successors to the [[Yechŏn-class frigate|Yechŏn class]], they share the same battlegroup escort capabilities but are also designed to carry out coastal bombardment and anti-shipping missions. | The '''Chunchŏn-class frigates''' ([[Menghean language|Menghean]]: 春川級外層護衛艦 / 춘천급 외충 호위함, ''Chunchŏn-gŭb Oechung Howiham'') are a class of guided missile {{wp|frigate}} built in [[Menghe]]. Developed as successors to the [[Yechŏn-class frigate|Yechŏn class]], they share the same battlegroup escort capabilities, but are also designed to carry out coastal bombardment and anti-shipping missions. In addition to the eight units operated by the [[Menghean Navy]], there are three units operated by [[Azbekistan]], three units operated by [[Sundan]], and three units operated by [[Ummayah]], with a fourth scheduled for delivery in mid-2024. | ||
Since 2014, Menghe has replaced the Chunchŏn class with the [[Sŏnsan-class frigate|Sŏnsan class]] in all new construction for the [[Menghean Navy]], while continuing production of the Chunchŏn class for foreign customers. The Sŏnsan class uses the same hull as the Chunchŏn, but with a quieter and more reliable powerplant, making it more effective at {{wp|anti-submarine warfare}}. | |||
==Development== | ==Development== | ||
The Menghean Navy ordered design work on a new frigate class in the mid-2000s, | ===Requirements=== | ||
The Menghean Navy ordered design work on a new frigate class in the mid-2000s, while the [[Yechŏn-class frigate]]s were still entering service. As "outer-layer escort ships" (''oechung howiham'', HO), the Yechŏns and their subclasses were designed to operate at the edges of a carrier battle group or other formation, sitting on the threat axis between the core escorted asset and a likely enemy approach. This role called for strong self-defense capabilities, as these ships would be the first to come under air or missile attack, but also a relatively inexpensive sensor and armament fit, as they would be needed in large numbers and would have a high probability of being lost. Accordingly, compared with the [[Haeju-class destroyer]]s, the Yechŏns sacrificed long-range air search radar, VLS cell count, and anti-surface capabilities while retaining powerful ASW sensors and the ability to fire medium-range surface-to-air missiles. | |||
By 2004, the Menghean Navy was already conducting conceptual work on a new frigate class, but the [[Ummayan Civil War]] and the diplomatic shift around it mandated faster development and new requirements. For one, Menghe now faced a possible war with [[Innominada]], which shared a coastline on the South Menghe Sea. This raised the need for naval operations along an enemy-controlled coast, in support of small amphibious units or Army forces on land. Navy planners concluded that many features of the HO ship concept carried over well to shore bombardment work: frigates of this type were relatively inexpensive, but also possessed powerful self-defense capabilities, making them well-suited to a threat-dense littoral environment. The Yechŏn-class frigates, however, only sported 76mm guns for shore bombardment work, and only carried [[YDH-26]] missiles to engage enemy surface ships. Thus emerged a new requirement for a frigate similar to the Yechŏn class but armed with a 130mm main gun. | |||
Along similar lines, the Navy required that the new class be better-equipped for anti-shipping missions. The [[Chŏndong-class destroyer]]s had proven effective in naval combat during the [[Ummayan Civil War]], and Menghe hoped to use later batches of this frigate class to replace them. The [[YDH-29 Chŏngryong]] missile, still in development at the time, would serve as the prospective main armament. | |||
These requirements caused some debate in the Navy, as more conservative officers viewed them as a form of {{wp|mission creep}}: as initially envisioned, HO-type frigates were supposed to sacrifice all capabilities not directly relevant to the battlegroup defense mission in order to minimize cost and reduce the loss in capability from a sinking. Prospective designs for the new frigate class would increase displacement by up to 1,000 tonnes and bring overall capabilities closer to those of the [[Haeju-class destroyer]]. Advocates for the expanded ship concept argued that the new capabilities required relatively little space, cost, and mass, and coincided with the baseline HO hull's demands for a high-speed, low-cost ship with good self-defense capabilities. | |||
===Proposals=== | |||
The first blueprint, '''Plan 84''', was submitted in 2007. It resembled the Chŏndong-class destroyers, with four forward-facing missile launch boxes on either side of a narrow bridge structure. The 32 Mk41 cells were split between two 16-cell modules, one forward of the bridge and one at the rear end of the superstructure. Just forward of the aft Mk41 module was a helipad and a single telescoping hangar. Gun armament consisted of an [[HP-130/2 Type 82]] twin 130mm autoloading naval gun in a low-RCS angular mount. Propulsion would have been the same CODOG system used on the Yechŏn class. Though conservative in its capabilities, this design offered little growth potential, especially as the exact size of the YDH-29 launch box was not yet known so the spaces flanking the bridge could prove to be too narrow. | |||
'''Plan 85''' was submitted in 2008, after a more thorough design process. It more closely resembled the Yechŏn class, with a single 130mm gun turret forward (taken from the Haeju class), a two-helicopter hangar, and a more conventional squared-off funnel, all requiring a larger hull. To compensate for the increased displacement, the powerplant was upgraded, with uprated LM2500+ turbines for sprinting and larger Taesan T16K diesels for cruising. These engines were still coupled in a CODOG arrangement, which, though louder and slightly slower, would also be a more reliable bet compared with less familiar options. Otherwise, the overall layout was similar to the Dŏkju-subclass frigates already under construction, with a SMART-S MK2 air search radar on an hourglass-pyramid mast, 32 Mk41 VLS cells forward, and reloadable [[Subisu CIWS]] mounts replacing the non-reloadable [[GBM-23/5_Bulkkot#GBM-23.2F5Y_Dungji|Dungji CIWS]] in roughly the same locations. | |||
A design called '''Plan 86''' took the size increases even further, with a fully enclosed bow to eliminate the radar reflection from the anchor handling gear and the VLS cells split between a 32-cell group forward and a 16-cell group aft. Plan 86 was the most capable of the entries, but it was also the largest, with a waterline length of about 140 meters. This would have made it too large for the existing drydocks for the construction and maintenance of frigates. On this basis, and on the basis of increased cost, it was rejected early on. Plan 87 did, however, provide design experience for the [[Insŏng-class destroyer]]s which followed later in the decade. | |||
'''Plan 87''' was the final entry to receive a formal plan number from the Navy's evaluation office, being registered in early 2009. Like Plan 86, it offered a {{wp|Combined_diesel–electric_and_gas|CODLAG powerplant}} with quiet direct-drive electric motors for cruising and LM2500+ gas turbines for high-speed sprints. Because of its all-electric gearless transmission, it would have been quieter at low speeds than the Plan 84 or Plan 85, and also more fuel-efficient, due to the ability to run both shafts on power from one diesel generator rather than trailing the other shaft while running on a single diesel engine. Its distribution of equipment also made it more survivable in the event of a hull breach or missile impact. In all other respects, it closely resembled the Plan 85 design. | |||
===Approval and construction=== | |||
At first, Plan 87 seized the advantage in theoretical evaluations, as its CODLAG powerplant would be superior for {{wp|anti-submarine warfare|ASW}} work and would allow the same range on less fuel. But as the deadline for the first keel laid down grew near, Plan 87 stumbled over practical issues. To run its powerplant, it would require two 5,000-kW low-speed brushles electric motors from Taesan and four high-power-density 3,500-kWe diesel generators from Samsan. These contractors had the required systems in development, but both reported that they were several years away from a mass-production-ready design. In the end, unwilling to order an additional batch of Dŏkju-class frigates to fill the delay until the required powerplants were ready, the [[Ministry of National Defense (Menghe)|Ministry of National Defense]] selected the Plan 85 design at the start of 2010. | |||
The first | The first ship in the class, named HO-340 ''Chunchŏn'', was laid down on 20 August 2010 at the Chŏndu New Naval Yard, which had been expanded specifically to support new frigate construction. A sister ship, HO-341 ''Myŏngju'', was laid down in the neighboring assembly hall three months later. ''Chunchŏn'' was commissioned on 17 September 2013. | ||
==Characteristics== | ==Characteristics== | ||
{{WIP}} | |||
===Propulsion and machinery=== | ===Propulsion and machinery=== | ||
The Chunchŏn-class frigates use a {{wp|combined diesel-electric or gas|CODLOG}} powerplant with two electric motors and two {{wp|General Electric LM2500|LM2500+}} gas turbines, split across two propeller shafts. The two 4,000 kW electric motors use energy from four Samsan 6EY33LW diesel generators, each producing 3450 kWe of electricity. In addition to driving the ship's powerplant, these diesel generators also power the ship's systems, and any combination of the four can be run at once to provide the amount of power needed. The diesel generators are split between three machinery rooms to distribute propulsion equipment and enhance survivability, though because the aft generator is in the same compartment as both electric motors and both transmission units, a hit to that section would still immobilize the ship apart from its auxiliary propeller forward. | The Chunchŏn-class frigates use a {{wp|combined diesel-electric or gas|CODLOG}} powerplant with two electric motors and two {{wp|General Electric LM2500|LM2500+}} gas turbines, split across two propeller shafts. The two 4,000 kW electric motors use energy from four Samsan 6EY33LW diesel generators, each producing 3450 kWe of electricity. In addition to driving the ship's powerplant, these diesel generators also power the ship's systems, and any combination of the four can be run at once to provide the amount of power needed. The diesel generators are split between three machinery rooms to distribute propulsion equipment and enhance survivability, though because the aft generator is in the same compartment as both electric motors and both transmission units, a hit to that section would still immobilize the ship apart from its auxiliary propeller forward. | ||
Revision as of 20:32, 20 February 2023
 4-view diagram of Chunchŏn in 2014.
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: |
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| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Yechŏn-class frigate |
| Succeeded by: | Sŏnsan-class frigate |
| Built: | 2010-present |
| In commission: | 2013-present |
| Planned: | 17 |
| Building: | 1 |
| Completed: | 18 |
| Active: | 18 |
| General characteristics (Chunchŏn, 2014) | |
| Type: | Frigate |
| Displacement: | 5,950 tons full load |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: |
|
| Draught: | 6.09 m to keel |
| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: | 34 knots |
| Range: | 5,400 nautical miles (10,000 km) at 15 knots |
| Complement: |
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| Sensors and processing systems: |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
|
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: | 2 × GH-28 Ppulsoeori |
| Aviation facilities: |
|
The Chunchŏn-class frigates (Menghean: 春川級外層護衛艦 / 춘천급 외충 호위함, Chunchŏn-gŭb Oechung Howiham) are a class of guided missile frigate built in Menghe. Developed as successors to the Yechŏn class, they share the same battlegroup escort capabilities, but are also designed to carry out coastal bombardment and anti-shipping missions. In addition to the eight units operated by the Menghean Navy, there are three units operated by Azbekistan, three units operated by Sundan, and three units operated by Ummayah, with a fourth scheduled for delivery in mid-2024.
Since 2014, Menghe has replaced the Chunchŏn class with the Sŏnsan class in all new construction for the Menghean Navy, while continuing production of the Chunchŏn class for foreign customers. The Sŏnsan class uses the same hull as the Chunchŏn, but with a quieter and more reliable powerplant, making it more effective at anti-submarine warfare.
Development
Requirements
The Menghean Navy ordered design work on a new frigate class in the mid-2000s, while the Yechŏn-class frigates were still entering service. As "outer-layer escort ships" (oechung howiham, HO), the Yechŏns and their subclasses were designed to operate at the edges of a carrier battle group or other formation, sitting on the threat axis between the core escorted asset and a likely enemy approach. This role called for strong self-defense capabilities, as these ships would be the first to come under air or missile attack, but also a relatively inexpensive sensor and armament fit, as they would be needed in large numbers and would have a high probability of being lost. Accordingly, compared with the Haeju-class destroyers, the Yechŏns sacrificed long-range air search radar, VLS cell count, and anti-surface capabilities while retaining powerful ASW sensors and the ability to fire medium-range surface-to-air missiles.
By 2004, the Menghean Navy was already conducting conceptual work on a new frigate class, but the Ummayan Civil War and the diplomatic shift around it mandated faster development and new requirements. For one, Menghe now faced a possible war with Innominada, which shared a coastline on the South Menghe Sea. This raised the need for naval operations along an enemy-controlled coast, in support of small amphibious units or Army forces on land. Navy planners concluded that many features of the HO ship concept carried over well to shore bombardment work: frigates of this type were relatively inexpensive, but also possessed powerful self-defense capabilities, making them well-suited to a threat-dense littoral environment. The Yechŏn-class frigates, however, only sported 76mm guns for shore bombardment work, and only carried YDH-26 missiles to engage enemy surface ships. Thus emerged a new requirement for a frigate similar to the Yechŏn class but armed with a 130mm main gun.
Along similar lines, the Navy required that the new class be better-equipped for anti-shipping missions. The Chŏndong-class destroyers had proven effective in naval combat during the Ummayan Civil War, and Menghe hoped to use later batches of this frigate class to replace them. The YDH-29 Chŏngryong missile, still in development at the time, would serve as the prospective main armament.
These requirements caused some debate in the Navy, as more conservative officers viewed them as a form of mission creep: as initially envisioned, HO-type frigates were supposed to sacrifice all capabilities not directly relevant to the battlegroup defense mission in order to minimize cost and reduce the loss in capability from a sinking. Prospective designs for the new frigate class would increase displacement by up to 1,000 tonnes and bring overall capabilities closer to those of the Haeju-class destroyer. Advocates for the expanded ship concept argued that the new capabilities required relatively little space, cost, and mass, and coincided with the baseline HO hull's demands for a high-speed, low-cost ship with good self-defense capabilities.
Proposals
The first blueprint, Plan 84, was submitted in 2007. It resembled the Chŏndong-class destroyers, with four forward-facing missile launch boxes on either side of a narrow bridge structure. The 32 Mk41 cells were split between two 16-cell modules, one forward of the bridge and one at the rear end of the superstructure. Just forward of the aft Mk41 module was a helipad and a single telescoping hangar. Gun armament consisted of an HP-130/2 Type 82 twin 130mm autoloading naval gun in a low-RCS angular mount. Propulsion would have been the same CODOG system used on the Yechŏn class. Though conservative in its capabilities, this design offered little growth potential, especially as the exact size of the YDH-29 launch box was not yet known so the spaces flanking the bridge could prove to be too narrow.
Plan 85 was submitted in 2008, after a more thorough design process. It more closely resembled the Yechŏn class, with a single 130mm gun turret forward (taken from the Haeju class), a two-helicopter hangar, and a more conventional squared-off funnel, all requiring a larger hull. To compensate for the increased displacement, the powerplant was upgraded, with uprated LM2500+ turbines for sprinting and larger Taesan T16K diesels for cruising. These engines were still coupled in a CODOG arrangement, which, though louder and slightly slower, would also be a more reliable bet compared with less familiar options. Otherwise, the overall layout was similar to the Dŏkju-subclass frigates already under construction, with a SMART-S MK2 air search radar on an hourglass-pyramid mast, 32 Mk41 VLS cells forward, and reloadable Subisu CIWS mounts replacing the non-reloadable Dungji CIWS in roughly the same locations.
A design called Plan 86 took the size increases even further, with a fully enclosed bow to eliminate the radar reflection from the anchor handling gear and the VLS cells split between a 32-cell group forward and a 16-cell group aft. Plan 86 was the most capable of the entries, but it was also the largest, with a waterline length of about 140 meters. This would have made it too large for the existing drydocks for the construction and maintenance of frigates. On this basis, and on the basis of increased cost, it was rejected early on. Plan 87 did, however, provide design experience for the Insŏng-class destroyers which followed later in the decade.
Plan 87 was the final entry to receive a formal plan number from the Navy's evaluation office, being registered in early 2009. Like Plan 86, it offered a CODLAG powerplant with quiet direct-drive electric motors for cruising and LM2500+ gas turbines for high-speed sprints. Because of its all-electric gearless transmission, it would have been quieter at low speeds than the Plan 84 or Plan 85, and also more fuel-efficient, due to the ability to run both shafts on power from one diesel generator rather than trailing the other shaft while running on a single diesel engine. Its distribution of equipment also made it more survivable in the event of a hull breach or missile impact. In all other respects, it closely resembled the Plan 85 design.
Approval and construction
At first, Plan 87 seized the advantage in theoretical evaluations, as its CODLAG powerplant would be superior for ASW work and would allow the same range on less fuel. But as the deadline for the first keel laid down grew near, Plan 87 stumbled over practical issues. To run its powerplant, it would require two 5,000-kW low-speed brushles electric motors from Taesan and four high-power-density 3,500-kWe diesel generators from Samsan. These contractors had the required systems in development, but both reported that they were several years away from a mass-production-ready design. In the end, unwilling to order an additional batch of Dŏkju-class frigates to fill the delay until the required powerplants were ready, the Ministry of National Defense selected the Plan 85 design at the start of 2010.
The first ship in the class, named HO-340 Chunchŏn, was laid down on 20 August 2010 at the Chŏndu New Naval Yard, which had been expanded specifically to support new frigate construction. A sister ship, HO-341 Myŏngju, was laid down in the neighboring assembly hall three months later. Chunchŏn was commissioned on 17 September 2013.
Characteristics
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Propulsion and machinery
The Chunchŏn-class frigates use a CODLOG powerplant with two electric motors and two LM2500+ gas turbines, split across two propeller shafts. The two 4,000 kW electric motors use energy from four Samsan 6EY33LW diesel generators, each producing 3450 kWe of electricity. In addition to driving the ship's powerplant, these diesel generators also power the ship's systems, and any combination of the four can be run at once to provide the amount of power needed. The diesel generators are split between three machinery rooms to distribute propulsion equipment and enhance survivability, though because the aft generator is in the same compartment as both electric motors and both transmission units, a hit to that section would still immobilize the ship apart from its auxiliary propeller forward.
All machinery components are enclosed in sound-proof capsules and mounted on vibration-absorbing rafts, which makes the frigate especially quiet when running in electric mode. A prairie-masker air valve system further reduces cavitation and machinery noise.
Gun armament
While the Yechŏn class carried a 76mm dual-purpose gun forward, the Yechŏn is armed with a 130mm HP-130/1 Type 03 gun turret. This system has a rate of fire of 30 rounds per minute, and fires from two 20-round carousels at the bottom level of the hull, well below the waterline. It can fire programmable time-fuse shells, as well as point-detonation contact-fused shells, laser-guided shells, and Chŏl-u cluster munition shells. With a rocket-propelled long range shell, it has a claimed maximum firing range of over 100 kilometers.
Self-defense gun armament comes in the form of two GBM-23/5 Dungji CIWS mounts. This is the same number of guns as the Yechŏn class, but they are arranged in a fore-aft position over the bridge and helicopter hangar. This placement gives better coverage, with no blind spot forward and overlapping coverage on a 90-degree arc to each side. The "Dungji" variant of the mount carries sixteen YDG-61 anti-air missiles on each turret, complementing the gun for interception at greater ranges.
Despite its intended coastal role and despite the threat of Innominadan fast inshore attack craft, the Chunchŏn class does not carry dedicated autocannons for defense against small boats. Instead, standard practice is to rely on the GBM-23/5 guns, which have a reduced rate-of-fire setting for use against surface targets. The ships are fitted for but not with five 12.7mm heavy machine guns, with one pintle mount on the bow and four more flanking the bridge and the helicopter hangar. After the Innominadan Crisis, these are almost always left empty.
Missile armament
The Chunchŏn class carries four eight-cell Mark 41 VLS modules, for 32 launch cells in total. This is the same VLS armament as the Dŏkju subclass of the Yechŏn-class frigates, mounted in the same arrangement, with 16 forward and 16 aft. All cells are able to load strike-length canisters. The following loadouts are typical:
- Battlegroup escort mission
- 8 × YDH-28 or YDH-90 anti-ship missile
- 8 × YDG-60 long-range SAM
- 8 × HŎ-3 Ryongorŭm anti-submarine rocket
- 32 × YDG-64 medium-range SAM (quadpacked, 8 cells)
- Surface attack mission
- 20 × YDH-28 or YDH-90 anti-ship missile
- 32 × YDG-64 medium-range SAM (quadpacked, 8 cells)
- 4 × HŎ-3 Ryongorŭm anti-submarine rocket
- Coastal bombardment mission
- 8 × SY-51 cruise missile
- 16 × YGJ-82N light anti-ship missile (quadpacked, 4 cells)
- 8 × TY-10 short-range ballistic missile
- 32 × YDG-64 medium-range SAM (quadpacked, 8 cells)
- 4 × HŎ-3 Ryongorŭm anti-submarine rocket
Between the bridge and the funnel are eight angled box launchers for the YDH-29 Chŏngryong supersonic anti-ship missile. From HO-348 Sŏnsan onward, these have been replaced with twelve angled box launchers for long, narrow cruise missiles or anti-ship missiles, likely YDH-28 or YDH-90. Though smaller than the YDH-29, these missiles have greater range, and the YDH-90 has a greatly reduced radar cross section.
Sensors and countermeasures
The tower over the superstructure carries a SMART-S MK2 air-search radar. This system operates in the E/F band and has an instrumented range of 250 kilometers at 13.5 RPM and 150 kilometers at 27 RPM. Mounted over 28 meters above the waterline, it has a surface-level radar horizon of 22 kilometers. Though less capable than the AN/SPY-1D system on the Haeju-class destroyers, the SMART-S radar confers adequate range to target YDG-60 missiles against patrol aircraft and detect anti-ship missiles incoming on the horizon.
For missile guidance and fire control, the Chunchŏn class carry two STIR 2.4 radar antennas, one forward and one aft. This is the same configuration used on the Dŏkju group of Yechŏn-class frigates. In addition to guiding YDH-60 and -64 missiles fired by the frigate and other ships in the formation, these antennas also provide target tracking, fire-solution generation, and shell correction for the forward 130mm gun turret.
The shipboard electronic warfare suite is built around two JJ-9 ESM/ECM modules, which are designed to detect radar signals from incoming anti-ship missiles, classify them, and jam them in the same frequency. Two Baram-2 countermeasure launchers provide an inner layer of defense, complemented by eight Munje fast-deploying inflatable radar decoys which float on the surface of the water, mimicking the ship's radar signature.
Aviation facilities
The aft hangar structure can accommodate two GH-28 helicopters, double the capacity of the Yechŏn-class frigates. A hauldown device allows recovery operations in heavy seas. The flight deck control room is centered between the hangars overlooking the landing area. Torpedoes and sonobuoys are stored in an internal magazine room at waterline level, and torpedoes from this magazine are also used to reload the ship's two 350mm twin torpedo launchers.
Sŏnsan subclass
HO-348 Sŏnsan was commissioned in 2018 with a different sensor fit, most notably a Thales NS100 E/F-band radar with improved range, improved rotation rate, and a built-in electro-optical sensor. Sŏnsan and her later sister ships also boasted an improved electronic warfare suite. Sŏnsan also carried twelve small angled missile boxes in place of eight large ones, though early-batch Chunchŏns were later seen fitted with the same armament, and a later defense expo presentation clarified that the launch frames on both ship classes can support either configuration. As with the Hawŏn and Dŏkju classes, the Menghean Navy officially treats the Sŏnsans as a separate frigate class, though in this case the differences separating them from earlier ships are relatively minor.
Ships in the class
The table below shows all Chunchŏn and Sŏnsan-class frigates in service or under construction as of the end of 2020. Dates in italics are predicted launching and commissioning periods, as of that point in time.
| Subclass | Name | Hull No. | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chunchŏn | Chunchŏn | HO-340 | Chŏndu | 2012 02 26 | 2013 09 17 | |
| Myŏngju | HO-341 | Chŏndu | 2012 07 19 | 2014 01 07 | ||
| Sŏlsan | HO-342 | Kimhae | 2013 10 28 | 2015 05 06 | ||
| Misu | HO-343 | Songsu-do | 2014 01 30 | 2015 08 06 | ||
| Cheho | HO-344 | Songsu-do | 2014 04 07 | 2015 11 10 | ||
| Ryoju | HO-345 | Kimhae | 2015 06 18 | 2017 02 14 | ||
| Raenghae | HO-346 | Songsu-do | 2015 08 07 | 2017 03 21 | ||
| Suju | HO-347 | Songsu-do | 2015 10 04 | 2017 06 27 | ||
| Sŏnsan | Sŏnsan | HO-348 | Kimhae | 2016 10 27 | 2018 08 28 | |
| Pungsan | HO-349 | Songsu-do | 2017 01 22 | 2018 10 24 | ||
| Juta | HO-350 | Songsu-do | 2017 04 01 | 2018 12 15 | ||
| Ichŏn | HO-351 | Kimhae | 2018 02 17 | 2019 12 14 | ||
| Bunju | HO-352 | Songsu-do | 2018 06 25 | 2020 01 30 | ||
| Wando | HO-353 | Songsu-do | 2019 09 08 | 2021 | ||
| Chŏngsŏng | HO-354 | Kimhae | 2019 09 15 | 2021 | ||
| Pyŏnghae | HO-355 | Chŏndu | 2020 06 22 | 2022 | ||
| Takgye | HO-356 | Songsu-do | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| Daejŏ | HO-357 | Kimhae | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| Hajŏn | HO-358 | Chilsan | 2021 | 2023 | ||
| Dagye | HO-359 | Chilsan | 2021 | 2023 | ||
| Jŏngpae | HO-1300 | Chŏndu | 2022 | 2023 | ||
| Chŏnghwa | HO-1300 | Songsu-do | 2022 | 2023 |