ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976)

ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976) is a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer in the South Korean navy. It was named after the Korean king Munmu of Silla.^[1]

ROKS Munmu the Great on 25 July 2006
History
South Korea
Name	Munmu the Great (문무대왕)
Namesake	Munmu of Silla
Builder	Hyundai
Launched	11 April 2003
Commissioned	30 September 2004
Identification	Pennant number: DDH-976
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer
Displacement	4,400 t (4,300 long tons) standard 5,520 t (5,430 long tons) full load
Length	150 m (492 ft 2 in)
Beam	17.4 m (57 ft 1 in)
Draft	9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	10,200 km (5,500 nmi)
Complement	200
Armament	1 x 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun 1 x Goalkeeper CIWS 64 x VLS 21 x RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile 8 x RGM-84 Harpoon 2 x triple K745 Blue Shark Torpedo
Aircraft carried	2 x Super Lynx helicopters
Aviation facilities	Helicopter landing platform and Hangar

ROKN Munmu the Great in formation with USS Ronald Reagan during Foal Eagle (RSOI/FE) 2007

Design

The KDX-II is part of a much larger build up program aimed at turning the ROKN into a blue-water navy. It is said to be the first stealthy major combatant in the ROKN and was designed to significantly increase the ROKN's capabilities.^[2]

Construction and career

In March 2009, Munmu the Great was sent overseas to protect merchant vessels from Somali pirates.^[1] On 28 May 2007 during firing exercise on the open sea near Jinhae one of the projectiles exploded inside the 127 mm gun barrel which has been replaced later. In 2014 she conducted anti-piracy drills as part of Combined Task Force 151 in the Indian Ocean with HMS Defender.^[3]

In April 2018, it was deployed to Ghana with personnel from the Special Warfare Brigade as part of a mission to rescue kidnapped South Korean fishermen.^[4]

On 19 July, 2021, it is reported that 247 out of 301 crew members of the 34th contingent of the Cheonghae Unit on the Munmu the Great was tested positive for the covid-19. Two Korean Air Force KC-330 departed with 200 replacement members to transport the 301 entire crew members back to South Korea.^[5] After returning to South Korea, it is revealed that 270 crew members are tested positive.^[6]

Gallery

• ROKS Munmu the Great Gallery
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  ROKS Munmu the Great maneuvering during RIMPAC 2006.

•  

  ROKS Munmu The Great and ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great lighted ship's lights to celebrate the July 4th Independence Day 2006.

See also

• Cheonghae Unit
• Korean Destroyer eXperimental
• Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer (KD-I)
• Sejong the Great-class destroyer (KD-III)

References

1. Yook, Jeong-soo (March 13, 2009). "Munmu the Great Deployed to Somalia". The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
2. ROK Navy
3. "Defender joins fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean - Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk.
4. Rahmat, Ridzwan (April 1, 2018). "South Korea deploys KDX-2 destroyer to Ghana on rescue mission". Jane's Information Group. The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has deployed a KDX-2-class guided-missile destroyer to Ghana on a possible hostage rescue mission after three South Korean fishermen were kidnapped while at sea on 26 March.
5. "247 out of 301 Crew Members of the Cheonghae Unit Test Positive for COVID-19". The Kyunghyang Shinmun. July 19, 2021.
6. "청해부대 270명 확진…합참, 증상자 폭증 몰랐다" [Cheonghae Unit 270 confirmed... Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not know the number of symptomatic patients]. The Hankyoreh. July 21, 2021.

Further reading

• Watts, Anthony J. (2006). Jane's Warship Recognition Guide (4 ed.). London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-084992-4. OCLC 63185682.

External links

  Media related to ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976) at Wikimedia Commons