South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has launched the eighth of nine KSS-II submarines the South Korean Navy will eventually operate.
Named after the South Korean independence fighter Lee Beom-seok, the submarine was unveiled on Tuesday at DSME’s shipyard in Geojedo, south of Seoul.
Once the South Korean attack submarine program is complete, the nation will operate some 27 submarines built through three phases.
The first phase, KSS-I or Chang Bogo class as the lead vessel is named, was completed with all nine submarines in operational status. The KSS-I submarine are based on the Type 209 design from the German Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH.
The second batch of submarines, based on the Type 214 submarine, is nearing completion with the unveiling and naming of the eighth unit. The previous, seventh, submarine was named in March this year.
The KSS-II submarines are loaded with long-range submarine-to-ground cruise missiles developed by Korea’s own technology, torpedoes and mines featuring an automatic simultaneous target tracking system and a torpedo guidance and detection system.
With a length of 65 meters and width of 6.3 meters, the KSS-II submarines displace 1.800 tonnes and have a crew of 40.