Hanwha Ocean outscored its rival HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) by 0.5867 points in the final evaluation, shifting a historically rigid landscape where HD HHI traditionally secured large surface combatant contracts.
The KRW 7.8 trillion ($5.7 billion) KDDX procurement aims to deliver six 6,000-ton class indigenous destroyers to serve as core assets for the ROK Navy’s Task Fleet Command. The program marks a critical milestone in South Korea's defense self-reliance, integrating a domestically developed hull design, combat management systems, and dual-band multi-function radar sensors.
Industry analysts noted that a 1.2-point security-related penalty imposed on HD HHI proved decisive in the outcome. The deduction stems from previous legal convictions involving the unauthorized acquisition of KDDX conceptual design materials, with DAPA ruling that the penalty remains effective until the end of 2026.
The bidding outcome remains subject to standard review and objection procedures before DAPA finalizes the contractor selection. Once approved, the six new stealth-optimized vessels will replace the aging KDX-I Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers, equipped with locally developed Korean Vertical Launch Systems (KVLS) for advanced air defense.