HJ Shipbuilding & Construction wins ROKS Dokdo contract - Korea JoongAng Daily
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction won a 180.8-billion-won ($136.4 million) contract to update the ROKS Dokdo, a transport ship, the company disclosed Tuesday, Korea JoongAng Daily reports.
The project, received from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration under the Ministry of National Defense, is to improve existing combat system and equipment such as radars on the ROKS Dokdo.
The ship has played a key role in the Korean navy’s operations for 15 years. A large transport ship in the 14,000-ton-class, the ROKS Dokdo’s basic mission is to transport troops and equipment for operations and can accommodate 700 landing troops and seven helicopters.
The ROKS Dokdo is also a command ship for wartime operations and can be deployed for rescue in case of a disaster or evacuation of overseas Koreans in emergencies.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction started basic design of the ROKS Dokdo in 1999 and started construction of the ship in 2002. It was delivered to the navy in 2007. A second ship based on the same design, the ROKS Marado, was built and delivered to the navy last year.