Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has launched the seventh vessel to be built under the Daegu-class frigates slated for the South Korean Navy.
As with its sisters, the future ROKS Cheonan will have a length of 122 metres, a beam of 14 metres, and a helicopter deck. Armament will include a 127-millimetre naval gun, a close-in weapon system (CIWS), and surface-to-surface missiles.
The frigate's name was chosen partly in honour of an earlier similarly named South Korean Navy vessel. The first ROKS Cheonan was a Pohang-class corvette that was lost at sea along with 46 out of its 104-strong crew on March 26, 2010.
South Korean officials claimed the first Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo fired by a North Korean midget submarine. Pyongyang, however, has continually denied its involvement in the incident.