The Sejong-Daewang, the first of South Korea's new KDX-III
class destroyers was commissioned on 22 December 2008. The highly advanced, 10,000-ton (full load) destroyer launched on 25 May 2007 was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries of Ulsan. At least two additional units of the class are also being built, with the second destroyer expected to join the fleet in 2010 and the third in 2011. An option for three others may also be exercised. Though similar in design to the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke Flight IIA and Japan's Improved Kongo classes of destroyers, the Korean Sejong-Daewang class is more heavily armed and carries more vertical-launch tubes than either warship. During 2009 the Sejong-Daewang is expected to conduct extensive sea trials before achieving full operational capability in 2010.
In late December, France and Brazil announced a major arms agreement between the two nations. Included in the 8.6-billon euro contract is the Brazilian purchase of 50 general-purpose helicopters and four Franco-Spanish-designed Scorpène-class attack submarines to be built in France with Spanish cooperation. The contract also calls for extensive French assistance with design and construction of a Brazilian nuclear-powered attack submarine planned for 1979. France will provide hull construction and electronics expertise for the Brazilian SSN program, while the submarine's nuclear reactor will reportedly be designed and built domestically in Brazil, with only limited foreign assistance. No date has yet been released for commissioning of the new submarines, though the delivery of the helicopters is planned to begin in 2010. In 2000, Brazil purchased the retired 30,000-ton French aircraft carrier Foch for $41 million and renamed the carrier São Paolo. Pictured here during naval exercises with the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), the São Paulo operates A-4 Skyhawk attack jets and helicopters.
This past November the Algerian Nanuchka-II-class missile boat Raïs Ali and the 1,600-ton Koni-class frigate Raïs Kellich, pictured here, set sail for Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia, to begin an extensive two-year upgrade and modernization effort. The trip soon turned sour, however, as the corvette's diesel generator malfunctioned and there were problems with piping on board the frigate. After these issues were corrected in Emden, Germany, it was discovered that rust pitting had caused a 15-centimeter hole in the Raïs Kellich's hull. What was originally to have been a brief 12-hour refueling stopover in Germany quickly turned into an emergency repair call, as on board pumps worked to clear the frigate's partially flooded supply room and stopgap repairs were made to the 26-year-old warship's hull at the Kiel naval base. Once repairs were completed, the two Algerian ships continued on their way to St. Petersburg, having lost less than two weeks' travel time.