Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Chapter · 35:43-37:31

Sejong missile density makes the destroyer a fleet shield

The first Sejong batch combines 80 Mark 41 cells, 48 Korean VLS cells, and 16 deck-launched anti-ship missiles for 144 weapons ready to launch.

Air DefenceDestroyersGoalkeeper Close-In Weapon SystemKorean VLSMark 41 VLSMissilesNaval WeaponsRepublic of Korea NavyRIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileSejong The Great Class DestroyersSM-2 MissileVertical Launch Systems
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Notes

The first Sejong batch carries forty-eight Mark 41 cells forward and thirty-two aft, for eighty cells before the Korean launcher is counted. The Mark 41 cells are described as loaded with SM-2 Block III and IV missiles. Another forty-eight Korean VLS cells raise the vertical-launch total to 128. Four quadruple anti-ship launchers bring immediate launch capacity to 144 weapons. A 5-inch gun, Goalkeeper, and RAM provide gun and close-in layers around the missile battery. Those numbers challenge proposals that treat forty-eight missiles as sufficient for every high-end destroyer, especially for a navy facing an immediate and heavily armed threat.