S. Korean, Ukrainian Warships Hold First Joint Anti-Piracy Exercise

The South Korean Navy destroyer ROKS Choi Young has finished a joint exercise with the Ukrainian Navy frigate Hetman Sahaydachnyi in the Gulf of Aden.

This was the first time in the history of the Ukrainian Navy to conduct an exercise with the South Korean Navy.

The primary goal of the exercise was to ensure naval security and protection of civil navigation as well as building up defence cooperation between Ukraine and South Korea.

The Korean Naval ship ROKS Choi Young met at sea over the past weekend with NATO’s counter-piracy task force (CTF-508) and flagship of the group, ESPS Alvaro De Bazan. The staffs of the ships exchanged information on counter-piracy operations in the region.

The Korean naval ship joined the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) in October last year to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea.

CTF-151 is a multinational naval task force, which was established on January 12, 2009 with a goal to respond to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and coast of Somalia.

Hetman Sahaydachni has recently completed the second patrolling through the Gulf of Aden within European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta. She is currently located at the Salalah port, Oman for logistic support, replenishment and maintenance.

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SPECIFICATIONS
ROKS CHOI YOUNG		HETMAN SAHAYDACHNYI
Length	150 m	Length	123 m
Beam	17.4 m	Beam	14.2 m
Draft	9.5 m	Draft	4.7 m
Displacement	4,400 t (4,300 long tons) standard 5,520 t (5,430 long tons) full load	Displacement	3,100 long tons (3,150 t) standard 3,510 long tons (3,566 t) full load
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35mph)	Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement	200 men	Complement	180 men
Range	10.200km (5.500 nmi)	Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) 900 nmi (1,700 km; 1,000 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Status	In active service	Status	In active service

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Naval Today Staff, February 4, 2014; Image: Ukrainian Navy