South Korea has advanced with plans to finalize an acquisition deal for the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX).
According to Defence Blog, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a pre-bidding briefing for the KDDX program on February 11.
The event took place at the DAPA’s bidding office and was organized before an expected formal bidding notice in the first half of the year. With this, DAPA officially launched the contractor selection process for detailed design and ship construction.
According to DAPA, the briefing aimed to explain the overall outline of the program, the weapon system performance requirements, and the acquisition timeline for companies wishing to participate.
The KDDX program will select a contractor through a competitive bidding process that includes a proposal evaluation phase. Departing from the standard procedure, DAPA said it would allow pre-bid access to key program documents, which are typically released only after a formal bidding notice.
This move, according to the agency, is designed to provide sufficient preparation time for bidders and support the submission of more comprehensive proposals. This information would help increase clarity on requirements, ensure procedural fairness, and build trust in the program’s execution.
“Based on legality, we will select the contractor in a transparent and fair manner, and through close cooperation with related agencies, we will get the KDDX program back on track,” emphasized Jeong Jae-jun, head of the DAPA Force Capability Improvement Program Office.
The KDDX is intended to replace aging surface combatants and enhance the Navy’s air defense, anti-surface, and strike capabilities. Its stealth design reflects Seoul’s efforts to expand the integration of domestic shipbuilding and combat systems.
With the briefing, South Korea has moved forward with the KDDX program after delays to the original schedule. Jeong acknowledged that catching up on lost time is a priority to avoid capability gaps in naval operations.
Photo: HD Hyundai. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
