S. Korean Navy's first training ship to be launched Friday

All News 10:46 November 16, 2018

SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Yonhap) -- The first training ship of South Korea's Navy is set to be launched on Friday afternoon.

The ceremony for the ATH-81 Hansando vessel, which will be deployed in early 2021, will take place at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries in the southeastern city of Ulsan, the Navy said. ATH is the acronym of Auxiliary Training Ship Helo.

The 4,500-ton, 142-meter-long ship can sail more than 12,000 km at the speed of 18kts (33km/h). The maximum pace is 24kts. It's equipped with 76-mm and 40-mm guns and anti-missile decoy system and is able to accommodate more than 400 people, installed with huge lecture rooms, dispensary, surgery rooms and sickbeds.

If needed, it can serve as a casualty receiving and treatment ship (CRTS).

The Navy plans to put it in operation in early 2021 mainly for the training of cadets. The ship is named after a southern islet, around which Adm. Yi Sun-sin staged a major battle against a Japanese fleet in 1592.