South Korea Completes Preliminary Design of New Submarine

28 Desember 2018

KSS-III a 3.000 tones submarines (image : DAPA)

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South Korea has completed the preliminary design of a 3,000-ton indigenous submarine that features capabilities for longer-duration and speedier underwater operations, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Wednesday.

Since July 2016, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. took the lead in designing the Changbogo III-class Batch-II submarine, whose construction is set to begin in the latter half of next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

The next generation submarine is to be equipped with a locally developed lithium battery, which will allow longer underwater operations, and advanced sonar and combat tools that will enhance its target detection capabilities and overall survivability.

The Changbogo III-class Batch-II submarine (photo : Yonhap)

"It is expected that by possessing the strategic weapons system designed based on local cutting-edge technologies, the country will be able to further strengthen the Navy's independent defense capabilities," the DAPA said in a press release.

The DAPA said that 80 percent of its component parts were made by Korean businesses.

In September, Korean launched the Changbogo III-class Batch-I submarine, named after a prominent South Korean independence fighter, Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, with its operational deployment slated for January 2022. Seventy-six percent of the Batch-I submarine's components were produced by local firms.

(Yonhap)