Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, held a launching ceremony for the Republic of Korea Navy’s 214-class submarine, SS-II, the fifth Yun Bong Gil Ham.
This 1,800-ton submerged displacement class fleet is 65.3m in length and 6.3m in width, and its top speed is 20 knots (37km/h). It can make a round trip from Korea to Hawaii without refueling with 40 sailors on board.
It is equipped with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that can charge the storage battery without air so that it is possible to conduct operations for two weeks staying under the water.
Yun Bong Gil Ham is an underwater moving guided missile base. Equipped with “Haeseong”, a domestic underwater-to-ground cruise missile, it can make a precision strike on the enemy’s core facility. In addition, it is capable of handling 300 targets at the same time under the water based on a high level of covertness.
As it is armed with torpedoes and mines, it can carry out anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare as well as an offensive mine mission simultaneously. With a decoy system that avoids detecting sensors such as nautical radar, periscope and sonar, and an enemy’s torpedo, it is evaluated as the world’s best submarine diesel.
Yun Bong Gil Ham will be delivered to the Korean Navy in the second half of 2015 after the acceptance evaluation period.
The Korean Navy is currently operating 10 209- and 214-class submarines.
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