Credit: HD HHI via LinkedIn
South Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has launched a new 3,000-ton-class patrol vessel for the Korea Coast Guard…The vessel, named Taepyeongyang 21, was launched at the company’s shipyard in Ulsan. Measuring approximately 117 meters in length and capable of reaching speeds of up to 28 knots, the ship is designed to support a broad spectrum of operations.
The speed is surprisingly high. The full load displacement may be considerably higher since Asian nations tend to minimize the size of their ships. The gun is probably a 40mm.
The South Korean Coast Guard has 36 large offshore patrol vessels (>1,000 tons). That is more large patrol cutters than the US Coast Guard has and their aggregate tonnage is also greater. They also have 42 cutters between 200 and 500 tons. Their aviation force is relatively small and their Coast Guard includes no buoy tenders.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
East Asia is really a powderkeg. Australia increased it’s patrol vessels from 500 tones to 1600 tons. China uses 10,000 ton ” Coast Guard ships. SK , a peninsula, builds 3000 ton patrol ships. Taiwan’s 500 ton patrol boats are really guided missile corvettes “fitted for but not with” many munitions.
Interesting times indeed.
Andrew