A rendering of Hanwha Ocean's KDDX destroyer / Courtesy of Hanwha Ocean
Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for Korea’s next-generation destroyer (KDDX) project, a cornerstone of the country’s naval modernization plan, valued at approximately 7.8 trillion won ($5 billion).
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and defense industry sources on Thursday, the agency has completed its evaluation of proposals for the detailed design and lead ship construction project and notified both HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean of the results in the afternoon of the same day.
The result underscores an exceptionally tight competition, with the difference in the final scores between the two companies reportedly only 0.5867 points.
The KDDX program plans to deploy six 6,000-ton Aegis-equipped destroyers by 2030, replacing aging vessels scheduled for retirement in the late 2020s.
