South Korea has put its second Aegis destroyer into service after nine months of test operations

South Korea has put its second Aegis destroyer into service after nine months of test operations, reports said Friday.

The 7,600-ton KDX-III destroyer Yulgok Yi I, equipped with some 120 ship-to-ship and ship-to-air guided missiles and long-distance torpedoes, was deployed Wednesday, local media said citing navy officials.

It can accommodate 300 crew members, carry two mid-sized helicopters and cruise at a maximum speed of 30 knots, according to reports.

The Aegis-class destroyer, built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, was named after a revered Confucian scholar from Korea's ancient Joseon Dynasty.

The first Aegis destroyer, Sejong the Great, was launched in 2008 as part of the country's naval buildup plan.

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