General Anmu Revives with 3,000-Ton Class Submarine

[Geoje=Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] General Anmu (安武), the hero of the Bongodong and Cheongsanri battles, is being revived as a 3,000-ton next-generation submarine (KSS-Ⅲ).

On the afternoon of the 10th, the Navy will hold the launching ceremony of the 3,000-ton next-generation submarine 'Anmu' at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's Okpo Shipyard in Geoje. The Anmu is the second domestically produced submarine following the Dosan Ahn Changho, a 3,000-ton next-generation submarine independently designed and built in Korea.

The Anmu-class submarine is approximately 3,000 tons, with a length of 83.3 meters, a width of 9.6 meters, a maximum submerged speed of 20 knots (37 km/h), and a crew of about 50. Compared to the existing Type 214, it is about twice the size, and by applying high-performance fuel cells to the Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, the underwater endurance period has also been extended. Numerous core equipment developed with domestic technology, including the combat sonar system that serves as the brain of the submarine, have been installed.

The submarine's name is given to individuals who contributed to the independence movement or national development. General An was a member of the Jinwidae of the Korean Empire and devoted himself to the independence movement by resisting the disbandment of the military by the Japanese. He played a significant role in defeating the Japanese army in the 1920 Bongodong and Cheongsanri battles. In 1924, he was wounded and arrested during a raid by the Japanese police and died that year. The Republic of Korea government posthumously awarded him the Order of Independence Merit in 1980.

At the launching ceremony, An Gyeong-won (90), the general's biological granddaughter, will be represented by her son Kang Yong-gu (67). Ms. An said, "When I was young, my maternal grandfather secretly told me that my paternal grandfather, General Anmu, was an independence fighter. Although our family circumstances were difficult, I have always been proud of my grandfather."

In his congratulatory speech, Defense Minister Seo Wook stated, "In the near future, our Navy will be reborn as an advanced blue-water navy equipped with core forces such as light aircraft carriers, Korean next-generation destroyers, and 4,000-ton submarines."

The launching ceremony and the safe voyage prayer ceremony will be held simultaneously. Traditionally, the wife of the guest of honor cuts the launching tape with a launching axe, symbolizing breathing life into the newly built ship as if cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. The safe voyage prayer ceremony involves representatives breaking champagne on the hull. Meanwhile, the Anmu submarine will be delivered to the Navy in 2022 after the acceptance evaluation period and will be deployed in active service following the operationalization process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.