DAPA to Invest $1.43B to Develop Minesweepers

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it would start basic design for the 1.78 trillion won ($1.43 billion) Mine Sweeping Ship (MSH-II) Project.

Minesweeper is a ship that has been operated by South Korea since the 1980s and has improved mine search and minesweeping capabilities. It was built as a replacement for the Mine Searching Ship (MHC), whose life cycle has arrived, the arms procurement agency said in a statement.

In December 2022, the DAPA has asked Gangnam Co., Ltd. to complete basic design of the ship by 2025. The first ship built under this project is planned to be deployed in 2029.

In particular, domestic research and development of core equipment such as mine search sonar and complex sensitive mine suppression equipment  is expected to guarantee stable follow-up logistical support and have a large ripple effect on the accumulation of  defense science and technology  and the domestic economy.

In addition, through the operation of various unmanned systems such as autonomous underwater mine search vehicles, unmanned mine handlers, and expendable mine removal processors, expansion of the operational range for sea areas where operations are difficult to perform, improvement of combat personnel's survivability, and reduction of manpower and costs are expected.