Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment ship
 Side view of BHB-463 Yŏngjŏnggang as completed.
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Yŏngjŏnggang class |
| Builders: | Samsan Maritime Engineering |
| Operators: |
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| Preceded by: | Plan 1611 replenishment tanker |
| Succeeded by: | Anchungang-class fast combat support ship |
| Built: | 2001-2019 |
| In service: | 2004-present |
| Planned: | 10 |
| Completed: | 10 |
| Active: | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Replenishment oiler |
| Displacement: | 24,000 tonnes full load |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 24.6 m |
| Draught: | 8.84 m to keel, full load |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Range: | 10,000 nmi (18,500 km) at 14 knots |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: | 2 × GBM-23/5 Bulkkot |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 × GH-28 helicopter |
| Aviation facilities: | hangar and flight deck |
The Yŏngjŏnggang class is a type of multi-product replenishment oiler built for the Menghean Navy during the 2000s. It is capable of supplying friendly ships with fuel, water, and dry goods, including ammunition. It is capable of resupplying one ship on either side, plus one ship astern with a trailing hose, while resupplying other ships in the area by helicopter.
Design
The Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment oiler has a total of four alongside replenishment (CONREP) masts. The forward pair are used for transferring pallets of break bulk cargo, including food, spare parts, and ammunition. These masts can also be used to move personnel between ships, either on chairs (if healthy) or stretchers (if injured). The aft pair of masts each carry two sets of hoses, and can transfer fuel oil, aviation fuel, potable water, and boiler feed water. The layout of the delivery points on the Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment ships influenced the layout of the receiving points on other Menghean warships: the dry cargo receiving point is forward of the fuel and water receiving point, allowing a ship to receive goods of both types simultaneously.
For ship classes, especially smaller ones, that do not have alongside replenishment facilities, the Yŏngjŏnggang class can also trail a hose behind and refuel a following ship over the bow. This mode of fuel transfer is slower due to the smaller-diameter hose, and does not allow transfer of solid cargo.
The quarterdeck is occupied by a large landing area which can also be used to stage supply pallets for lifting and delivery. Just forward of these, inside the aft superstructure, are two hangars for GH-28 helicopters, specifically the baseline "G" variant with hardpoints removed. These helicopters can conduct vertical replenishment, either by loading personnel into the passenger compartment or by carrying cargo pallets slung underneath.
Armament
Defensive armament consists of two GBM-23/5 Bulkkot close-in weapon systems, one facing forward and one facing aft. These provide a small measure of defense against anti-ship missiles and small surface craft. There are also four pintle mounts - two forward, two aft - for 12.7mm heavy machine guns, which are normally stored in lockers aboard the ship. Onboard lockers may also be loaded with YDG-38 shoulder-fired anti-air missiles, to provide additional defense against helicopters and low-flying aircraft.
Taebangang subclass
In 2010, the Menghean Ministry of National Defense approved a four-ship follow-on group. The ships of the Taebangang subclass can be distinguished from the first four Yŏngjŏnggangs by their main and aft masts, which are solid structures, as opposed to the earlier pyramid frames. These new masts sport newer sensors and electronics, including an electronic warfare suite consisting of the JJ-8 ESM radome and JJ-7 ECM radome. Baram-2 chaff and flare launchers flank the forward superstructure on extended platforms. Taebangang and her sister Saehangang were both named for rivers in ethnic minority regions (the Taivan Gol and Seyhan Gol respectively), and therefore their names are painted in horizontal Dzhungar scrupt.
Export to Medacapre
In 2015, Medacapre signed an agreement on the construction and delivery of two Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment ships. They were delivered in 2018 and 2019.
Ships in the class
Menghean replenishment oilers and large supply ships are named for Menghean rivers. The Menghean navy's Yŏngjŏnggang-class ships were built in two batches, with the first batch built during 2001-2006 and production restarted in 2010 for the second batch. Ships in the second batch have some minor differences in their communication equipment, but did not receive a separate class designation in the Menghean Navy.
| Hull No. | Name | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHB-463 | Yŏngjŏnggang | 2001 10 04 | 2002 12 10 | 2004 07 18 | |
| BHB-464 | Wigang | 2002 06 21 | 2003 07 05 | 2005 03 25 | |
| BHB-465 | Wŏlgang | 2002 12 14 | 2004 01 29 | 2005 08 04 | |
| BHB-466 | Yigang | 2004 02 24 | 2005 03 29 | 2006 08 03 | |
| BHB-467 | Taebangang | 2010 11 26 | 2012 02 04 | 2013 10 09 | |
| BHB-468 | Saehangang | 2011 05 09 | 2012 07 18 | 2014 02 06 | |
| BHB-469 | Ryongtangang | 2012 02 25 | 2013 04 22 | 2014 09 10 | |
| BHB-1460 | Damgang | 2013 04 24 | 2014 05 08 | 2015 11 22 |
| Name | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Meda 1] | 2015 10 16 | 2016 11 19 | 2018 10 09 | |
| [Meda 2] | 2016 08 18 | 2017 10 04 | 2019 11 07 |