South Korea Begins Work on Combat System Testing Facility for New ‘KDDX’ Destroyers

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 19 for the construction of a Land Based Test System (LBTS) at the Samcheok Marine Research Center.

This facility will serve as a critical hub for testing and evaluating the combat system of the next-generation destroyer, known as KDDX.

The LBTS will provide a controlled environment to test the combat systems used in destroyers. Often referred to as the "brain" of a warship, the combat system integrates and manages a wide range of equipment, including sensors, weapons, communication tools, and navigation systems.

This system aims to minimize errors during onboard installation by enabling rigorous on-land testing. Data collected during these tests will also support future improvements in performance, maintenance, and repair processes. Spanning 6,700 square meters, the Samcheok Marine Research Center is set to become South Korea’s largest land-based integration testing facility for naval combat systems.

Scheduled for completion by June 2026, the facility will undergo self-verification processes before commencing regular operations in 2027. It will be instrumental in the developmental and operational testing (DT and OT-1) of the KDDX destroyer’s combat system. Additionally, it will support technical research, naval operator training, and incremental upgrades to existing systems.

The LBTS is modeled after the Combat System Engineering Development Site (CSEDS) used by the U.S. Navy to advance the Aegis combat system.

In December 2023, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the completion of the basic design for South Korea’s next-generation destroyer, the KDDX. The design, developed under a 2020 contract with DAPA, took three years to finalize and features detection and combat systems rivaling the ROK Navy’s Aegis-equipped KDX-III Batch-II destroyer, “King Jeong-jo the Great.” The KDDX is the first fully domestically built destroyer, incorporating radars, a full electric propulsion system, and future-ready technologies for potential directed-energy weapons.

Equipped with Hanwha Systems’ I-MAST, the KDDX features Dual-Band Multi-Function Radar for air defense and ballistic missile detection. Its weaponry includes a Mk 45 5-inch main gun, CIWS-II systems, C-Star anti-ship missiles, KVLS-I and KVLS-II vertical launch systems for L-SAM missiles, and an integrated sonar system for anti-submarine warfare. The design reduces radar cross-section and underwater radiated noise to enhance survivability.

The updated design introduces a manpower-reduction platform to address South Korea's declining military-age population, integrating automation such as smart bridges and autonomous navigation systems. HHI also highlighted ongoing automation in other naval projects, including concept designs for future Offshore Patrol Vessels.

The KDDX program, valued at $5.8 billion, plans to deliver six vessels by 2036 for the ROK Navy’s Maritime Task Flotilla Seven. Detailed design is scheduled for this year, with a lead ship construction contract to follow.