ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (SS-083)

History

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is planning nine ships for its new Dosan Ahn Chang-ho-class attack submarine. The four ships - SS-083, SS-085, SS-086 and SS-087 - will be built through the efforts of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

Construction began in 2016 and is underway at the time of writing (2020).

The lead ship of this class is ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (SS-083), built by DSME and laid on 17 May 2016. She launched on September 14, 2018 and remains in active trial period (2020). They are followed by ROKS Son Byong-hi (SS-085), ROKS Yi Dong-nyeong (SS-086) and ROKS Lee Bong-chang (SS-087).

The first two are under construction and the latter is being planned. ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho is expected to be operational sometime in 2020.

The class is the culmination of an initiative by the South Korean Navy to produce around 27 attack boats over 35 years, starting in the mid-1990s. With each successive design, more and more locally sourced technical solutions are implemented to produce fully Korean products.

The ships are also the largest ever built by the local industry, making them a national pride.

As planned, the class has a displacement of 3,358 tons and a submerged displacement of 3,705 tons. Dimensions include a barrel length of 83.5 meters, a width of 9.6 meters, and a draft of 7.62 meters.

Propulsion is by diesel-electric units using 4 Bumhan Industry PH1 PEM fuel cell systems, each with a power of 150kW, driving a single low-noise propeller aft in a typical fashion. Where possible, use a muffler to keep the boat stealthy.

Performance figures include a maximum underwater speed of 20 knots and a surface speed of 12 knots. With a range of 10,000 nautical miles, it will help the service maintain protection of South Korea's vast coastline.

The shape of the boat is traditional, with a blunt dome, tubular hull and tapered stern section. The sides of the hull have a pronounced arc, and the turret is located midship forward. The tower houses the diving aircraft as well as the necessary periscopes, sensors and communication masts.

The stern contains a multi-blade propeller assembly and a cross-shaped tail assembly.

There are 50 crew members on board - a relatively compact attack submarine.

Weapons include 6 x 533mm bow torpedo tubes, supporting Tiger Shark mines and submarine-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles. In addition, six vertical launch systems (VLS) are embedded in the tail of the conning tower and accommodate cruise missiles for land attack and ballistic missiles if required.

The series is built on two different "batches", referred to simply as "Batch-I" and "Batch-II". ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho will be covered by the former, while the remaining three ships are expected to include multiple upgrades to expand their tactical capabilities - namely ballistic missile defense and anti-submarine systems to counter North Korean threats.

The result will be a 6-meter longer body, an increase in the number of VLS cells from 6 to 10 tubes, and a larger application of Korean technology.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

ARMAMENT

AIR WING