ROKS Cheonji (AOE-57)

ROKS Cheonji (AOE-57) is the lead ship of the Cheonji-class fast combat support ship (AOE) in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the lake, Cheonji.

ROKS Cheonji in Vladivostok on 27 August 2008
History
South Korea
Name	Cheonji (천지)
Namesake	Cheonji
Builder	Hyundai
Laid down	29 December 1988
Launched	26 July 1990
Commissioned	4 January 1991
Identification	Callsign: HLQF Pennant number: AOE-57
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Cheonji-class fast combat support ship
Displacement	4,200 tonnes (4,134 long tons) light 9,113 tonnes (8,969 long tons) full load
Length	133.7 m (438 ft 8 in)
Beam	17.8 m (58 ft 5 in)
Draft	6.8 m (22 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	2 × Voith Schneider Propeller
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km)
Sensors and processing systems	2 × Anti-ship radar
Armament	1 × 20 mm cannon 1 × 40 mm cannon DAGAIE
Aviation facilities	Helipad

Development

Main article: Cheonji-class fast combat support ship

After the Korean War, the Korean Navy purchased and operated small refueling ships from the 1960s to the 1980s. These ships were obsolete due to prolonged operation, which forced their retirement beginning in the late 1970s. As the demand for maritime operations increased day, the Navy required vessels to complete the missions.

From the mid-1980s, based on ship drying experiences, the Korean Navy proposed building combat support ships domestically. From 1988 to 1990, the first combat support ship, later named Cheonji, was built and launched. Daecheong and Hwacheon were built seven years later. At the time, the Korean Navy decided whether or not to build follow-up ships after finishing the operation test of the first ship.

As the needs of support ships increased, the Navy designed the Soyang-class ships in 2016, based on the Cheonji class.

Construction and career

ROKS Cheongju was launched on 29 December 1988 by Hyundai Heavy Industries and commissioned on 4 January 1991. She was the first logistic support ship built by the Navy and was the largest of the warships operated by the Navy at the time of commissioning.

In 1998, she was the flagship of the International Fleet Review of the Republic of Korea, and participated in the Japanese international naval ceremony in 2002 and the British naval warfare commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005.

Gallery

• 
  ROKS Cheonji and USS Chancellorsville on 6 February 2002
• 
  ROKS Cheonji and ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great on 10 October 2002
• 
  ROKS Cheonji on 22 January 2011
• 
  ROKS Cheonji on 22 November 2011
• 
  ROKS Cheonji and USS McCampbell on 17 March 2013