S. Korean, U.S. companies team up to build Aegis destroyer

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries will
team up with U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin to construct mid-size
Aegis combat ships for export, an official said Wednesday.
"Lockheed Martin-made radars will be installed on ships that Hyundai Heavy
Industries builds," the official, who asked not to be named, said by phone.
"The agreement has yet to take a more concrete form as terms for export must be
discussed in more detail," he said, adding the deal has been kept undisclosed for
customary reasons.
Earlier in 2006, Hyundai and Lockheed Martin signed an MOU on jointly building
destroyers that weigh 4,000-6,000 tons, according to a Hyundai official.
Hyundai Heavy Industries is the manufacturer of South Korea's only Aegis combat
destroyer, Sejong the Great, which is capable of intercepting a multiple number
of targets hundreds of kilometers away.
The two companies cooperated in building the 7,600-ton destroyer, which is still
undergoing steps to reach full operational capacity after being commissioned late
last year.
"Our capabilities left an impression on Lockheed Martin officials, who decided
they would cooperate with us on producing exports," the official said.
South Korea aims to have two more Aegis destroyers built and operating by 2012.
Aegis refers to an invincible shield in Greek mythology.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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