ROKS Gimcheon

ROKS Gimcheon (PCC-761) was a Pohang-class corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy and later transferred to Vietnam People's Navy as HQ-18.

ROKS Gimcheon alongside ROKS Seoul on 31 December 2015
History
South Korea
Name	Gimcheon (김천)
Namesake	Gimcheon
Builder	Hanjin, Busan
Launched	29 November 1985
Commissioned	1 September 1986
Decommissioned	31 December 2015
Identification	Pennant number: PCC-761
Fate	Transferred to Vietnam People's Navy
Vietnam
Name	HQ-18
Acquired	7 June 2017
Commissioned	7 June 2017
Identification	Hull number: 18
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Pohang-class corvette
Displacement	1,220 tons
Length	289.7 ft (88 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	2.9 ft (0.88 m)
Installed power	2 × MTU 6V396 TC52 diesel generators
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas (CODOG) arrangement: 2 × MTU 12V956 TB82 diesel engines producing combined total of 6,260 shp (4,670 kW) 1 × General Electric LM2500 PB gas turbines generating 27,820 shp (20,700 kW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) maximum
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) using diesel engines
Endurance	20 days
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × RHIB
Crew	118
Sensors & processing systems	X-band & S-band navigational radars Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)5B surface search radar Signaal (Thales Nederland) WM-28 Fire Control System Signaal (Thales Nederland) LIOD optronic director Raytheon AN/SQS-58 hull mounted passive/active sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	2 × Loral Hycor Mk 34 RBOC Chaff and Decoy Launching System
Armament	2 × Oto Melara 76 mm/62 caliber Compact naval guns 2 × Otobreda 40 mm L/70 twin naval guns 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes 2 × Mk 9 Depth charge racks 6 × M2HB Browning .50 caliber machine guns

Development and design

Main article: Pohang-class corvette

The Pohang class is a series of corvettes built by different Korean shipbuilding companies. The class consists of 24 ships and some after decommissioning were sold or given to other countries. There are five different types of designs in the class from Flight II to Flight VI.^[1]

Construction and career

Gimcheon was launched on 29 November 1985 by Hanjin Heavy Industries in Busan. The vessel was commissioned on 1 September 1986 and decommissioned 31 December 2015. She was transferred to the Vietnam People's Navy. She arrived on 7 June 2017 with a new name HQ-18.

On 10 September 2019, BRP Ramon Alcaraz, HQ-18 and KDB Darulaman participated in AUM X 2019. Darulaman sailed from Brunei to meet HQ-18 off Hon Khoai Island.^[2]

Gallery

• 
  ROKS Gimcheon and ROKS Seoul on 31 December 2015.
• 
  HQ-18 on 2 June 2017.