The Defense Acquisition Program Administration decided to select a contractor within the first half of this year to handle detailed design and lead ship construction for the Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX).
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said on the 11th that it held a preliminary briefing for the KDDX program at the Government Complex Gwacheon and "shared the expected announcement and contract timing, as well as the schedule after contract." A preliminary briefing is a session held before the bid announcement to explain general items related to the program, such as the weapon system's performance and the future program schedule. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean took part.
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, by allowing prior access to requirements-related program documents that are typically disclosed after a bid notice, the agency ensured sufficient bidding time. The agency plans to select a company in the first half of this year through a bid notice and proposal evaluation to take charge of KDDX detailed design and lead ship construction.
KDDX is a destroyer program to build both the hull and the Aegis system with domestic technology. The goal is to build six 6,000-ton-class mini Aegis destroyers with a budget of 7.8 trillion won. The original plan was to move to detailed design and lead ship construction immediately after completing the basic design in Dec. 2023. A ship program proceeds in the order of concept design → basic design → detailed design and lead ship construction → follow-on ship construction.
As competition among participating companies overheated, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration failed to decide on a selection method for the contractor, delaying the program for two years. It eventually decided in Dec. last year to select a contractor through competitive bidding. Although already delayed, the agency plans to deliver the lead ship to the Navy by the end of 2032.
Jeong Jae-jun, head of the Base Force Program Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said, "We will select a company transparently and fairly, and, through close cooperation with related institutions, put the KDDX program back on track."