LIMA 2023: HHI unveils new HDC-2000 LMS and HDL-10000 amphibious vessel

Hyundai Heavy Industries displayed this model of the HDC-2000 LMS at the LIMA Exhibition 2023 in Langkawi. (Janes/Nishant Kumar)

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) unveiled models of its new HDC-2000 Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) and HDL-10000 amphibious vessel at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition 2023 held in Malaysia from 23 to 27 May.

An HHI spokesperson told Janes that the HDC-2000 design will be proposed for the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) programme to procure a second batch of LMS vessels. The design of the HDC-2000 is based on the Philippine Navy's2,600-tonne Jose Rizal-class frigates, which were delivered in 2020 and 2021. The HDC-2000 design was completed in 2022, the spokesperson said.

The HDC-2000 has a displacement of 2,000 tonnes,an overall length of 95 m, and a breadth of 13.3 m. Propulsion is provided by four 3,900 kW diesel engines in a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) configuration that enables a top speed of about 25 kt, a range of 4,000 n mile, and an endurance of around 22 days. The ship can carry about 72 personnel.

Armaments include two surface-to-surface missile launching systems, an eight-cell vertical launching system (VLS) for surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm gun, two torpedo launchers with three tubes, and a close-in weapon system (CIWS).

In addition, the HDC-2000 is equipped with navigation radars, a tracking radar, an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), two decoy launchers, and a hull-mounted sonar (HMS). The HDC-2000 also features a helideck and can deploy two 7 m rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs).

Construction of one HDC-2000 ship is projected to take about three years, the HHI spokesperson said.