On Monday, November 10, during the Navy’s Fleet-Level Maritime Maneuver Exercise in the East Sea, ROKS Wang Geon and ROKS Jeongjo the Great conducted tactical maneuvers side by side. A Taegeukgi (the national flag of Korea) was flying aboard Wang Geon, while Jeongjo the Great displayed the Navy flag commemorating the 80th anniversary of the ROK Navy’s founding. Launched in July 2022 and commissioned in December 2023, Jeongjo the Great is the first vessel of the KDX-III Batch-II (Jeongjo the Great-class) Aegis destroyer program, designed to significantly bolster ROK’s ballistic-missile defense and maritime combat capabilities. After a year of combat-readiness evaluation and operational integration, the ship has achieved full mission-capable status.

During its force integration period, the destroyer undertook a comprehensive process that included platform performance verification, operational proficiency training, and a holistic combat readiness assessment. Crew members conducted repeated inspections, scenario-based training, and system-level evaluations to ensure that all onboard weapons, sensors, and combat systems can perform at maximum effectiveness during real-world missions.

Ahead of its deployment, the ship completed its final validation step—a rigorous Comprehensive Battle Training exercise held from the 27th to 28th of last month. The drill simulated simultaneous, multi-domain enemy provocations and was conducted around the clock. The crew successfully demonstrated proficiency in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, air-defense operations, as well as key mission areas including combat-system teamwork, damage control, CBRN defense, and lifesaving operations.

Captain Cho Wan-hee, commanding officer of the Jeongjo the Great, emphasized the crew’s readiness “After a year of intensive force integration, Jeongjo the Great and her sailors are now fully prepared to serve as part of the Naval Task Fleet Command” he said. “With the combat skills and teamwork we have honed, we will faithfully perform our role as a core asset of ROK’s sea-based Three-Axis Defense System.”

The deployment of Jeongjo the Great marks a significant enhancement to South Korea’s maritime deterrence and multi-domain defense posture, signaling strengthened readiness amid an increasingly complex regional security environment.

K-DEFENSE NEWS | Strategic Analysis Desk