Reincarnated ROKS Cheonan frigate heads to the front lines

The new ROKS Cheonan frigate, named after the corvette that was torpedoed by North Korea in March 2010, has embarked on a mission at the Northern Limit Line.

The new Cheonan frigate arrives the port of the South Korean Navy’s 2nd Fleet on Saturday. [YONHAP]

A reincarnated ROKS Cheonan has embarked on a mission at the Northern Limit Line, the South Korean Navy said Saturday.

The new frigate is named after the ROKS Cheonan corvette, which sank in the Yellow Sea after a North Korean torpedo attack in March 2010, killing 46 sailors.

It was delivered to the Navy in May, after which it underwent a seven-month trial that tested its operational performance and combat capabilities. It's been assigned to the 2nd Fleet, which has a military presence in the Yellow Sea.

“Under the premise of simultaneous and complex attacks by enemy forces, the frigate carried out combat and warfare missions around the clock during its comprehensive combat training,” an official from the Navy said.

“The training on Tuesday and Wednesday was the final assessment stage before official deployment.”

Sailors tie the mooring rope of the new Cheonan frigate after the warship's arrival at the port of the 2nd fleet on Saturday. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY, NEWS1]

But the new ROKS Cheonan brings a larger scale and more advanced features to the military front than its predecessor did.

The new frigate is a 2,800-ton class warship, while the sunken ROKS Cheonan weighed less than 2,000 tons. It's 122 meters (400 feet) long and can reach 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour while carrying a military helicopter.

Its long-range strike capability has also improved. The torpedoed corvette was equipped with harpoon missiles and could only counter enemy warships. The new frigate, however, boasts short-range surface-to-air missiles and tactical surface launch missiles using Korean Vertical Launching System, and can strike on-ground facilities and air forces as well.

Han Kyu-cheol, captain of the frigate and sailors make declarations about their deployment to Kim Kyung-cheol, commodore of the 2nd Fleet on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Underwater combat capabilities have also improved.

The new frigate can detect other submarines from a long distance with its Towed Array Sonar System.

It also includes an upgraded protection system that can trigger decoys to confuse enemy torpedoes and can launch an anti-submarine missile called "Red Shark."

The South Korean Navy also began proactively installing hybrid engines, including both gas turbines and electric motors, in its warships after the original ROKS Cheonan's sinking.

The hybrid engine reduces noise, making the warship more suitable for clandestine anti-submarine operations.

Inside the new Cheonan frigate, there is a memorial space dedicated to the 46 soldiers who died as a result of North Korea's attack on its torpedoed predecessor. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY, YONHAP]

Sailors, on Saturday, paid their respects in front of a memorial stone for 46 fallen sailors and made firm promises to protect the Yellow Sea.

“Sailors boarding the Cheonan frigate arrived at the 2nd Fleet remembering the sacrifices of 46 soldiers and their patriotic spirit,” said Commander Han Kyu-cheol, captain of the frigate.

“With prepared readiness and actual battle-like training, our forces will vigorously and promptly retaliate to the enemy’s provocations in the Yellow Sea,” he added.

“I will protect the honor of my fellow soldiers and fight against any attacks launched by the enemy, remembering the moments from 13 years ago when I firmly decided to protect the Yellow Sea," Chief Petty Officer Ryu Ji-wook said.

Ryu, a surviving sailor from the fallen Cheonan, will serve once again on the new vessel.

The construction of the frigate began in June 2020. It was put into the water in November 2021.

The Navy commissioned the new Cheonan frigate in May.

BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]