South Korea starts building second unit of KSS-III Batch-II class Submarine

Asia-Pacific, News January 3, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company (DSME) has begun construction of the second unit of Changbogo-III (KSS-III) Batch-II class submarine.

The KSS-III submarine is expected to be completed in 2026 and after undergoing sea trials it will be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy in 2028.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA) official release, the steel cutting took place on December 30, 2021, in Geoje, off the coast of the port city of Busan. The steel cutting on the first Batch II submarine took place on August 13, 2021, at the DSME shipyard and it is expected to be delivered to the Korean Navy in 2026, the release read. DSME won the contract to build the second unit of Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarine in September 2021.

The Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarine would become the largest submarine in the ROKN arsenal. The 3,600-ton Batch-II class submarine would be armed with improved ballistic missile capabilities and equip advanced sonar systems, including 10 vertical launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

The KSS-III will be 98 meters in length and 9.6 meters in beam and would be partially powered by a lithium battery, which would enable the submarine to stay underwater longer time and make it more impervious to anti-submarine platforms. The new submarine can carry a crew of 50 people.

The earlier KSS-I submarines have a displacement of 1,200 tons and KSS-II have a displacement of 1,800 tons. However, the KSS-III Batch-III submarines are expected to have a surface displacement of approximately 4,000 tons.

Around 80% of parts in the Batch-II submarines will be produced in South Korea, DSME statement said. The indigenous nature of the project would benefit the local industry and simplify the maintenance of submarines. The project would also create more jobs and make the submarine more competitive in the export market.

The head of the Korean Submarine Project Group at the DAPA, Jeon Jeon-gyu said: “The start of construction for the second Jang Bogo-class-III Batch-II submarine means that our Navy will have five submarines that displace over 3000 tons in the future. We expect the ship to play a central role in national security.”