Full photo available here:
https://defense-studies.blogspot.com/2018/03/vietnam-meng-pgrade-korvet-pohang-class.html?m=1Google translation from Vietnamese to English
Vietnam Upgrading the Pohang Class CorvetteMarch 23, 2018
As reported earlier, South Korea has granted the second-generation Vietnamese anti-submarine Corvette Pohang submarine, which has arrived at the Vietnam Navy base and was given a new hull number "18".
Looking at the picture above, it is easy to see that at the stern of the front vessel has been released a 324 mm torpedo launcher and a 76 mm Oto Melara cannon, then in front of 40 mm cannon mounted Nobong gun in place of Sea Vulcan 20 mm.
The issue of concern after the arrival of the vessel was whether Vietnam could improve the weapons configuration for Pohang, as the Korean Navy's ex ship was capable of turning into a multi-purpose ship.
More recently, the 1,200 ton tonne corvette was disclosed in detail in a report by Vietnam National Defense Television, as well as described on the operation of warships upon entering service in the Vietnam Navy.
Currently, Corvette 18 is still in Depo X46 - Department of Marine Engineering. In the first quarter of 2018, its mission is to improve and improve the ability of this corvette to face large submarines and then deliver it to the Sea Region II.
Thus, this battleship will not only be repaired, overhauled but the work also includes "improvements".
Although the lightweight 324 mm torpedo tube has been removed, yet what is still valuable is the ship's sonar device that still exists.
If the device is still intact then everything will be much simpler, but if the second case happens that it is empty then Vietnam is fully capable of equipping it with BEL HMS-X2 sonar, which many experts say is quite reliable.
Furthermore, if conditions permit, the space behind the vessel is empty because there is no longer 76 mm cannon Oto Melara can be replaced by the installation of sophisticated weapons.
In particular, with the open space behind this, the Vietnamese Navy can equip with a lightweight 400mm torpedo launcher tube along with KT-184 missile launchers for the U-35 U-E missile, as well as the installation of Garpun-Bal radar integrated on the roof of the cabin command room.
The above plan will help the Vietnamese Navy have a 1,200-ton multi-use guard equipped with anti-submarine torpedoes and anti-ship missiles to accelerate fleet progress.
