Hanwha Systems will develop the Engineering Control System (ECS) for the Ulsan-class Batch-IV, the next-generation frigate of the navy. This is the first time that the ECS, which serves as the heart of the vessel, has been developed using domestic technology.
Hanwha Systems recently announced on the 23rd that it has won a contract for the ECS system development project for the first ship of the Ulsan-class Batch-IV, organized by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The ECS is an advanced control system that integrates the propulsion, power, auxiliary devices, and damage control systems necessary for vessel operation into a single network-based system. Together with the Combat Management System (CMS), it serves as a core system for the super-intelligence and automation of future vessels, playing a key role in autonomous navigation and enhancing the ship platform.
The ECS has been held by only a few countries, including the United States and Italy. Different foreign products have been installed on Korean naval vessels according to their types, which has greatly restricted domestic follow-up logistics support and performance upgrades. Hanwha Systems noted, 'This project win has significance in that the ECS will be localized and developed using pure domestic technology.'
Hanwha Systems plans to supply various key equipment, including the ECS, CMS, Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MFR), Infrared Search and Track System (IRST), and Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), for the Ulsan-class Batch-IV.