Hanwha Systems said on the 30th that it supplied an integrated machinery control system (ECS) to the 3,200-ton-class destroyer Yang Manchun (DDH-I). This is the first time an ECS developed with domestic technology has been installed on a domestic warship.
The ECS is an advanced control device that integrates the propulsion, power, auxiliary machinery, and damage-control systems required to operate a warship. It supports missions stably and efficiently, earning it the nickname the heart.
Until now, only a few overseas corporations, including U.S. L3Harris, U.K. Rolls-Royce, and Italy's Fincantieri NexTech, held the technology for ECS, making it a field dependent on foreign sources.
Hanwha Systems began localizing the ECS in 2014. It later succeeded in developing a domestic ECS in collaboration with the Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute.
The domestic ECS is characterized by strengthened precision monitoring and control performance compared with existing products. Hanwha Systems also said its functions have been significantly improved through more efficient power operation and the addition of an onboard training system.
Thanks to the localization of the ECS, rapid logistics support and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and performance upgrades are now possible, which is expected to improve a warship's operational availability and endurance.
In December two years ago, Hanwha Systems also won a contract from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the next-generation Ulsan-class frigate Batch-IV ECS system development project and is developing the equipment.
Yu Mun-gi, head of the maritime division at Hanwha Systems, said, "We will focus on developing technologies to accelerate the unmanned and advanced capabilities of domestic warships and strive to be recognized for unrivaled competitiveness in the global naval defense market."