South Korea KDDX Next-Generation Destroyer Lead Ship Contract

DAPA signed the detailed design and lead-ship construction contract with Hanwha Ocean for the Korean Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) program on July 31, 2026 — South Korea's first fully homegrown Aegis-type destroyer. The lead-ship contract is worth KRW 837.9 billion (~$587M) within a ~KRW 7.8 trillion ($5.4B) six-ship program. Each ~7,000-ton destroyer carries domestically developed combat management, multifunction radar, and sonar systems. Hanwha Ocean beat HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in DAPA's June 2026 evaluation; the first vessel is due for delivery to the ROK Navy by 2032.