[Exclusive] Oil leaking new frigate... "I can't reach my normal speed"

<Anchor> As a

result of our coverage, it was confirmed as a result of our coverage that the Navy's new frigate, which is being built at a cost of over 3 trillion won, has serious flaws.

It is a phenomenon that the oil leaks from time to time, but the military authorities have not yet found the cause.

Because of this, the new frigates are currently operating at lower speeds.

Defense reporter Kim Tae-hoon was the sole reporter.

<Reporter> The

Navy is pursuing a project to build eight new 3,600-ton class frigates with a total project cost of 3.2 trillion won from 2015 to 2023.

It is to upgrade the main battleships in the coastal waters. Starting with the first ship Daegu in March 2018, in January and July of this year, the second ship Gyeongnam and the third ship Seoul were commissioned, respectively.

However, a small amount of oil leaked from time to time in these traps.

As a result of the investigation by the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, the propulsion shaft that transmits the electric motor power to the screw was scratched and damaged by the thrust bearing.

If this situation continues, the propulsion shaft is broken and the operation itself becomes impossible.

All three ships were out of power, but at the beginning of this month, they replaced the shafts and bearings with the same products and were put into operation again.

However, it is known that it does not achieve normal speed.

A Navy official said, "We are having difficulties in high-speed maneuvers due to fears that the shaft will break."

Military authorities are unable to determine the exact cause of the defect.

[Park Jin-ho/Member of Government Defense Project Promotion Committee: The phenomenon of bearings gnawing at the propulsion shaft is very unusual. If it had been designed normally, the thrust shaft would not have been twisted and such an accident would not occur.]

Three more new frigates have recently been launched up to the 6th ship, and two more, including the 7th ship Cheonan, are under construction.

Since they were designed together and the same parts were used, the possibility that it would lead to a full overhaul and repair of all ships according to the results of the investigation cannot be ruled out.

(Video coverage: Han Il-sang, video editing: Jeong Seong-hoon, CG: Seo Seung-hyun)

---

<Anchor> Here

is Kim Tae-hoon, a defense reporter who covered this content.

[Kim Tae-hoon/Reporter specializing in defense: The propulsion axis is to connect the motor and the screw that moves the frigate.

It is the thrust bearing that stably holds this propulsion shaft.

However, the military authorities explain that the shaft and the bearing, which must be spaced apart, keep colliding for some reason.

If this phenomenon worsens, the shaft may be broken and the screw may not be able to turn, that is, the ship may not be able to move.]

[Kim Tae-hoon/Reporter specializing in defense: Four of the eight new frigates were built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and the other four by Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Since the basic design was done by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, all eight ships, from No. 1 to No. 8, have the same design.

Seeing that the same defects occur one after another, there is a possibility that the design related to the power system is wrong in the first place, and the possibility of defects in the propulsion shaft and thrust bearings imported from Europe is not small.

The Defense Agency for Technology and Quality is looking at both sides.]

[Kim Tae-hoon/Reporter for National Defense: The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ships that are being deployed have changed the shaft and bearings, but the root cause is unknown, so the Navy is struggling with not being able to speed up the ships.

And ships 4, 5, and 6, which are currently being tested by the DAPA, are also exposed to the risk of oil leakage because they have the same design and the same parts.

If the military authorities find that the design itself is the cause of the defect, all ships must be built.

In addition, it is necessary to undertake a major construction project that requires overhauling the power system, and it seems inevitable that operational disruptions in coastal waters will be inevitable due to the absence of frigates.]