The 8 trillion won ($5.4 billion) Korea Destroyer eXperimental (KDDX) program, South Korea’s next-generation destroyer initiative commonly known as the “mini Aegis destroyer,” has once again been delayed. Intensifying competition between domestic shipbuilding giants HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) and Hanwha Ocean—longstanding rivals in the naval defense sector—has left the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), which is overseeing the project, unable to reach a decision. With the timeline now more than a year behind schedule, concerns are growing that the Navy may miss a critical window to secure a key asset for its future fleet.
A DAPA official on Mar. 25 said the KDDX project would be excluded from the agenda of the subcommittee meeting scheduled for Mar. 27. The program seeks to develop a fleet of homegrown destroyers equipped with advanced stealth features, radar, and combat systems. Under the current process, the subcommittee is tasked with finalizing the detailed design and construction method for the lead ship. Once that is determined, the proposal moves to the Defense Project Promotion Committee for final approval. A total of six destroyers are planned under the program, with HD HHI and Hanwha Ocean vying for the detailed design and the contract to build the first vessel.
The subcommittee had been expected to make a decision on the design and construction method at its previous meeting on Mar. 17, but the discussion ended without a resolution. It was widely anticipated that the issue would be revisited on Mar. 27, but its removal from the agenda has further clouded the project’s timeline.
“We plan to supplement and further review options to foster cooperative measures within the shipbuilding industry before resubmitting the matter to the subcommittee,” the DAPA official said, adding that a new date for review has not yet been set.
