According to the bimonthly magazine "The National Interest" of the United States on December 25, the South Korean attack submarine program is a continuous operation that began in the 90s of the 20th century to deter enemy submarines and surface ships, protect friendly naval bases and coastal communications, and carry out reconnaissance missions.
According to the report, South Korea's attack submarine program requires a total of 27 diesel-electric attack submarines.
From the beginning of the 90s of the last century, South Korea received nine submarines of the "Jang Bogo" class KS-I with a displacement of 1200 tons at the first stage of the programIn the second phase, the South Korean Navy acquired nine more 1,800-ton Type 214 submarines equipped with air-propulsion (AIP) technology, which are capable of launching cruise missiles.
As part of the third phase, Seoul has already built the first two of its nine planned submarines of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho class – capable of launching submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The 3,000-ton KSS-type submarines are significantly larger than South Korea's predecessor, the German-designed KSS-II 214 submarines, and are powered by diesel-electric and complemented by fuel cell technology to supplement AIP capabilities. Fuel cell technology can deliver speeds of up to 20 knots per hour and extend underwater operations to up to 20 days.
According to the US Naval Research Institute, the submarines of the "Shimayama Yasuchangho" class are equipped with an innovative vertical launch system (VLS). The system can carry six conventionally equipped SLBMs for ground attack. The non-nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missile, called the Xuanwu 4-4, is said to have a range of 270 nautical miles and was successfully test-launched from the submarine Shimayama Ahnsang-ho in September 2021. The KSS-type submarines are said to carry advanced sensors and **, including bow, flank and towed sonar, as well as six bow tubes for firing heavy torpedoes.
This month, shipbuilding giant Hanwha Marine announced that it had signed a contract with the Korea Institute of Defense Technology Planning and Development to develop a more capable submarine.
According to reports, the latest focus will be on the development of a new degaussing device designed to reduce the magnetic field generated by the submarine and thus better avoid detection.
A Hanwha Marine executive told reporters, "Because submarines are hidden underwater, people are not as interested in their technology as they are in fighter jets." So we feel like there's actually a lot of room for development. Our goal is to develop submarines equipped with the world's best technology, and this effort will help advance our leadership position in the global maritime defense market, including in the United States and Europe. ”
Hanwha Marine also received a value of 11 trillion won (about 8.)$4.5 billion) to build a 3,600-ton submarine for the South Korean Navy. Construction of the submarine is expected to be completed by 2029, and after two years of testing, it is expected to be commissioned in the Navy in 2031.
Admiral Kim Myung-so, who has been nominated to be the chairman of South Korea's Joint Staff Headquarters, said last month that South Korea still needs to have a nuclear submarine capability despite the fact that the South Korea-US nuclear deal is a political challenge to overcome. Recent developments, however, suggest that South Korea's two major political parties are calling for a revision of the agreement to acquire nuclear submarine capabilities.
"While these capabilities are needed, there are clear limits to what South Korea can do because the current South Korea-US nuclear deal restricts the military use of nuclear materials," Navy News** reported. (Compiled by Xu Yanhong).