Aegis Combat System - Aegis in Other Navies

Aegis in Other Navies

• The Royal Australian Navy is building three Hobart class air warfare destroyers, which will have Aegis as the core of their combat systems.
• The Japanese government operates four Kongō-class destroyers of a modified Arleigh Burke design from 1993. Two improved units known as the Atago class were purchased in 2000 and the first ship of this class, Atago (DDG 177), was commissioned March 15, 2007.
• The government of Norway is procuring five ships of Spanish manufacture which include a U.S.-sourced Aegis system integrated onto the ships, as the Fridtjof Nansen class. The first unit of this type, Fridtjof Nansen, was launched on June 3, 2004. The second of five Norwegian Nansen-class frigates, the Roald Amundsen (F311), completed its sea trials and entered service in June 2007. The 5,200 ton Nansen-class ships are being built in Spain and cost $600 million each.
• Republic of Korea (South Korea) is currently operating 3 Aegis variants. The first ship of the class, Sejong the Great, was launched on May 25, 2007. The second Aegis destroyer was launched in November 2008 and was given the name Yulgok Yi I. The third Aegis class destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung Ryong was launched on March 24, 2011. The ROKN also is considering to buy more ships of the Sejong the Great class as well as having confirmed plans to develop and buy a second class of aegis vessel derived from the Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin class destroyer, named KDX-IIA.
• The government of Spain is currently operating four F100 Álvaro de Bazán class Aegis frigates, with a fifth ship under construction.
• Informally, the Chinese navy and media refer to their upcoming phased-array radar air-defense destroyers as Aegis destroyers. Outside foreign observers retain the usage of 'Aegis' only for the brand-name Aegis-equipped classes (a usage important because the Aegis system allows data-sharing between ships-a ship can fire on a target detected by another friendly ship), but Chinese military usage does have some precedent—the dreadnought which was first a single ship in one navy and then eventually a description for a class of warship in general.