DEFENSE
Floating missile defense platforms protect seas and coasts
Semi-submersible radars & warships enhance sea-based security in the floating economy.
Launch ceremony for ROKS Dasan Jeong Yak-yong. Phot by HD HHI.
Some of the most advanced floating defense systems are now in operation or development, designed to detect, track, and intercept missile threats from the ocean. These are among the rare cases where naval assets combine platform-engineering with high-end systems in the floating domain.
Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX-1), USA: A self-propelled semi-submersible radar platform that supports the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. SBX-1 is built on a twin-hulled oil platform hull, with a large X-band radar under a huge dome, capable of discriminating missile threats over long ranges.
Japan’s ASEV warships (Aegis System Equipped Vessels): Japan is building two ASEV warships to replace its cancelled land-based Aegis Ashore sites. These vessels are designed specifically for ballistic missile defense (BMD) and will use advanced radars like the AN/SPY-7(V)1. Commissioning expected in 2027-2028.
KDX-III Batch II Aegis Destroyers (South Korea): South Korea is modernizing its fleet with the Jeongjo the Great-class destroyers. The first, ROKS Jeongjo the Great (DDG-995), was delivered in late 2024, followed by ROKS Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (DDG-996) in 2025. These 8,200-ton ships feature upgraded Aegis Baseline systems and are designed for ballistic missile defense.
These platforms show how floating military architecture is evolving — moving some defense systems onto the ocean itself, not just on land or traditional warships. The Floating Economy intersects with defense here by requiring stable, survivable platforms, power at sea, and naval engineering.
—TFI
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