South Korea commissions its first KSS-III submarine
South Korea’s navy has taken delivery of its first KSS-III conventional submarine. (ROKN)
The rollout of South Korea’s indigenous KSS-III submarines has begun, while LIG Nex1 is claiming early success in the CIWS-II programme.
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) commissioned its first KSS-III diesel-electric submarine, ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (pennant number SS-083), on 13 August. It is South Korea’s largest submarine to date.
The handover ceremony took place at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering’s (DSME) shipyard at Okpo on the southern island of Geoje. DSME launched this first-of-class vessel on 14 September 2018, its name honouring a Korean independence activist.
Although it has joined the ROKN, this submarine will not become operational until August 2022. According to the navy, this is because it must first undergo a battery of performance and capability evaluations.
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