Geoje: South Korea has commenced the construction of its third and final 3,600-ton-class naval submarine, as announced by the state arms procurement agency. This development is part of a strategic initiative to enhance underwater defense capabilities in response to North Korean threats.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the steel-cutting ceremony for the last of the three Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarines was held at Hanwha Ocean’s dockyard in Geoje, located 331 kilometers southeast of Seoul. This submarine is part of South Korea’s military efforts under the Changbogo-III or KSS-III program, aiming to acquire advanced diesel-electric attack submarines.
The 89-meter-long Batch-II submarine will feature 10 vertical launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), an upgrade from the six tubes equipped in the earlier 3,000-ton Batch-I submarines. The SLBM system on the new submarine is intended to play a critical role in the military’s Kill Chain preemptive strike platform, which is designe
d to neutralize key North Korean nuclear and missile targets upon detection of a potential threat.
The construction of the new submarine is expected to be completed by 2029, with delivery to the Navy anticipated in 2031 following extensive trial operations. Currently, all three Batch-II submarines are under construction, with the first scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2027.