Please note bolded parts in the second excerpts that mentions the other US allies that use MT30 turbines.
Defense NewsQuote:
European systems boost South Korean naval buildups
By: Jeff Jeong 3 days ago
SEOUL — The South Korean Navy is taking steps toward developing an ocean-going force, but it’s defense companies a continent over that are largely supporting the Navy’s arms buildup efforts.
The service has selected the British firm Rolls-Royce for its MT30 marine gas turbine to power a new class of six FFX-III frigates to be deployed in the mid-2020s.
The contract is the second of its kind since it chose the MT30, a derivative of the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 aero engine, in 2012 to power its Daegu-class frigates under the FFX-II program, aimed at commissioning up to eight 2,800-ton vessels armed with advanced naval warfare systems.
The lead ship of the Daegu class recently entered service with three other hulls under construction. The 3,000-ton FFX-III batch is under exploratory development.
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In May, the MT30 was chosen to power a new class of frigates for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, becoming the fifth nation to select the Rolls-Royce gas turbine. The U.S. Navy also uses the MT30 for its Freedom-class variant of the littoral combat ship and the Zumwalt-class destroyer. Other MT30 customers are the navies of the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.
South Korea’s KDDX “mini-Aegis” destroyers, to be deployed in the late-2020s, are also expected to be powered by the MT30 for operational effectiveness, according to a South Korean Navy source.
Equipped with the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1 radar system, the ship is to be fitted with a multifunction digital multi-beam radar, a derivative of the family of Integrated Masts, produced by French firm Thales.
European naval helicopters also have the upper hand in the South Korean Navy’s ongoing procurement programs.
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