On 16 December the Republic of Korea and HollandseSignaalapparaten B.V. (Signaal), part of Thomson-CSF, concluded a contract for the delivery of three Goalkeeper Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS). The three CIWS, including spare parts, are to be installed on the KDX-II Destroyer series of the ROK Navy. Deliveries will begin in June 2002.

South Korea already has six Goalkeeper systems on board of their KDX-I Destroyers.

Goalkeeper is a complete and fully automatic ship self-defence system. It detects and tracks fast targets at close range, opens fire and performs kill assessment for several targets simultaneously.

Goalkeeper's performance was successfully demonstrated during various live firing trials. This has resulted in fifty-five systems sold since the mid-eighties in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Besides Goalkeepers, Signaal has supplied several radar and fire control systems over last twenty years to the Republic of Korea. When the KDX-II programme was approved by the Korean government in early 1999, Signaal was included as subcontractor to LG and Samsung for two STIR 2.4 radars, one MW08 radar and two Multifunctional Operator Consoles for each of the three Destroyers.

This latest contract underpins the continuation of stable industrial relations between Signaal and South Korea.