With this award, HJ Shipbuilding has now secured all 16 vessels ordered to date under the Batch-II program, having previously delivered all 16 ships of the earlier Batch-I series. The company announced that it has signed a shipbuilding contract worth approximately USD 230 million (KRW 312.5 billion) with Defense Acquisition Program Administration following its selection as the preferred bidder for hull numbers 13–16 of the Gumdoksuri-B (Batch-II) program. The contract was finalized on December 17 after technical negotiations.

With this award, HJ Shipbuilding has now secured all 16 vessels ordered to date under the Batch-II program, having previously delivered all 16 ships of the earlier Batch-I series. In total, the company will construct 32 Gumdoksuri-B–class patrol boats, underscoring its unrivaled competitiveness in South Korea’s fast attack craft sector.

The Gumdoksuri-B, officially designated PKMR (Patrol Boat, Killer Medium Rocket), is the Republic of Korea Navy’s latest frontline coastal combatant, optimized for defending territorial waters and safeguarding the Northern Limit Line (NLL). Compared with Batch-I, the Batch-II variant incorporates more than 30 performance and design improvements, significantly enhancing operability, crew habitability, and mission endurance.

Equipped with waterjet propulsion, the patrol boats can conduct high-speed operations in shallow coastal waters. They also feature an advanced combat management system, missile-decoy suites, and modern electronic warfare equipment, delivering substantially improved firepower and survivability over earlier fast attack craft.

The Gumdoksuri-B, officially designated PKMR (Patrol Boat, Killer Medium Rocket), is the Republic of Korea Navy’s latest frontline coastal combatant, optimized for defending territorial waters and safeguarding the Northern Limit Line (NLL). 
The ROK Navy describes the class as its “spearhead force” for NLL defense. Over the past five decades, HJ Shipbuilding has played a central role in the development and construction of domestically built fast patrol boats. Beyond new-build programs, the company has executed major projects across the full naval vessel lifecycle, including upgrades to missile patrol craft, maintenance of high-speed landing craft, and work on large amphibious ships such as the Dokdo-class.

Most recently, HJ Shipbuilding became the first mid-sized Korean shipbuilder to sign a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract for a U.S. Navy auxiliary vessel, marking its formal entry into the overseas naval MRO market.

“Guided by more than half a century of pride and responsibility as the birthplace of Korea’s indigenous fast patrol boats, we will flawlessly deliver these frontline assets and contribute meaningfully to strengthening the nation’s maritime defense,” an HJ Shipbuilding official said.

K-DEFENSE NEWS | Strategic Analysis Desk

#HJ중공업 #한국해군 #신형고속정 #검독수리B #연안방어 #NLL수호 #해군전력 #국산함정 #K방산 #해양안보 #PKMR #HJShipbuilding #ROKNavy #FastPatrolCraft #GumdoksuriB #CoastalDefense #NLL #NavalPower #KDefense #MaritimeSecurity