Seoul to build first naval training ship by 2015

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will build its first naval training vessel by 2015, which when completed will relieve the country's overworked warships from training missions, officials said Friday.
The Navy is currently forced to yield one of its combat ships whenever there is
need for a vessel to train its service members or cadets at the Naval Academy,
they said.
"The project is to secure a training vessel, which will significantly improve our
training as well as efficiency in operating our warships," the Defense
Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement.
The project was approved Friday at a meeting of the Defense Project Execution
Committee, which is chaired by Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee.
The ship will have a displacement of 4,500 tons, according to DAPA officials. It
will be equipped with all weapons systems necessary for training.