DSME press release
The submarine will be built at the Okpo Shipyard and delivered to the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy by the end of 2028. DSME has achieved the feat of winning orders for four out of five orders for 3,000-ton submarines so far, including this contract. Last August, it successfully delivered ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (SS-083), the lead ship for the first batch. The first submarine of the Batch-II project also began construction in earnest, starting with steel cutting. Batch-II submarines feature a number of improvement, including Lithium Ion batteries.
Since DSME won the order for the first submarine of the Jangbogo-I project, the ‘Jangbogo’ in 1987, it has built the largest number of submarines in South Korea with 22 submarines (9 class 209, 3 class 214, 4 3,000-ton class, and export submarines), of which 16 have been successfully delivered, and 6 are under construction. In particular, it is the only South Korean company that has a record of winning overseas submarine orders.
DSME, Executive Vice President and Head of Special Ships Division, said:
“In addition to the successful delivery of the second ship of the KSS-III Batch-II project, we have thoroughly prepared the project to build a surface ship scheduled to be ordered this year and the basic design project for a Korean light aircraft carrier next year. We will contribute to the protection of maritime sovereignty.”
About South Korea’s KSS III Submarines
The basic design for a rather large ( 3358 tons surface standard displacement, up to 3800 submerged, for the batch 1) SSK type submarine started in 2004 jointly by Hyundai Heavy Industries and DSME corporations. Local companies LIG Nex1, Hanwha and STX Engine are also involved in the project, as well as British companies BMT and Babcock who provide technical assistance.
The KSS-III Batch 1 submarine has a length of 83.5 meters, a width of 9.6 meters, and a draft of 7.7 meters. Its maximum submerged speed is 20 knots, and the cruising range at economic speed is 10,000 nautical miles. The crew consists of 50 sailors.
KSS-III Batch 1 submarines are fitted with eight 533-mm torpedo tubes as well as 6x VLS (vertical launch system) tubes. They would accommodate a future cruise missile (the Cheon Ryong with a range of 1,500 Km) in development by LIG Nex1 while the launchers would be provided by Doosan. It was announced earlier in the program that Spanish company INDRA was selected to provide its electronic defense system (ESM) PEGASO and Babcock of the UK would design and manufacture the Weapon Handling System for the Batch-I submarines. French companies Safran is supplying the optronic masts for the class and ECA Group the steering consoles. Other South Korean content include the flank array sonars (provided by LIG Nex1) and the combat management system (provided by Hanwha).
Construction on first of class SS 083 ‘Dosan An Chang-Ho’ started with the first steel cutting ceremony held at the DSME shipyard in Okpo on November 27, 2014. The naming ceremony took place there on May 17, 2016. The boat was named in honor of one of the leaders of the Korean nationalist movement of the early twentieth century. The launch took place on September 14, 2018. The vessel was commissioned on 13 August 2021. In september 2021, Dosan An Chang-Ho successfully test-fired an SLBM.
The keel laying of the second vessel SS 085 ‘Ahn Moo’ took place at DSME shipyard on July 1, 2016 and was launched on November 10, 2020. Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan started construction of the third boat and final vessel of the first batch, SS 086 ‘Yi Dongnyeong’, on June 30, 2017.
KSS III Batch II
In March 2019, the construction of the KSS-III Batch II project for the RoK Navy was approved.
Compared to the first batch, KSS III Batch II submarine are expected to have a longer hull (bringing displacement approx. from 3000t to 4000t), 10x VLS tubes (up from 6x), a greater level of South Korea systems and Lithium Ion batteries and High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) motor technology for integrated full electric propulsion system.
