Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) launched the Republic of Korea Navy’s (ROKN) seventh Son Won II-class (Type 214) diesel-electric air-independent propulsion submarine on April 5.
The launching ceremony of the Son Won-II-class (also referred to as KSS 2-class) submarine was attended by Admiral Jung Ho-sub, chief of naval operations of the ROKN, took place at the Special & Naval Shipbuilding Division in Ulsan, South Korea.
"With its capacity to launch precision attacks on warships, submarines or any other land-based targets, the Hong Beom-do would play a pivotal role in the national defense," the Yonhap news agency quoted Navy Adm. Jung Ho-sub.
The Class 214 AIP submarine, measuring 65 m in length and 7 m in width, can sail at a maximum speed of 20 knots with a crew of 40. With a 1,800-ton displacement capacity, South Korea’s largest submarine made of high yield steel can dive up to 400 m deep and last for two weeks under water with fuel cells.
The submarine is 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.
The submarine was named after Hong Beom-do, a commander-in-chief of Korean Independence Army, who achieved the most splendid victory during the colonial period HHI undertook the duty to build six of nine 1,800-ton submarines procured by ROK Navy under the KSS-II Project. The ninth submarine is under construction from February 2014 at the Special & Naval Shipbuilding Division.
The ROK Navy’s seventh submarine will be delivered to the Korean Navy by July 2017 after seaborne operational trials.