[Defense Column] The Submarines of Our Navy That Created a Legend

[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung] The Jangbogo-class submarines (SS-I) operated by the Navy have created a myth of an invincible navy through numerous joint exercises. The lead ship, ROKS Jangbogo, was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Germany, and from the second ship, ROKS Icheon, to the ninth ship, ROKS Lee Eokgi, construction was carried out domestically.

Before the introduction of the Jangbogo-class submarines, our Navy operated the Dolgorae-class midget submarines. The Dolgorae-class was the first domestically developed midget submarine, and the Navy acquired a total of three units from 1984 to 1991. The Dolgorae-class submarines conducted anti-submarine warfare training and special operations, providing invaluable experience to our Navy, which had no prior experience in submarine operations. Subsequently, from 1982, a full-scale submarine acquisition project was initiated, resulting in the selection of the Type 209 submarine. Although the Type 209 is not used by the German Navy, over 60 units have been built worldwide since 1971.

Because of this, it is considered the best-selling diesel-electric submarine currently in existence. Additionally, since the 1970s, South Korea has maintained long-term submarine technology cooperation with Germany and was well aware of the excellence and reliability of German submarines. The acquisition cost was also cheaper compared to French or Italian submarines. Despite limited submarine operation experience after acquiring ROKS Jangbogo in 1992, our Navy’s submarines demonstrated records and performances in overseas exercises that rivaled those of advanced submarine nations. The launching ceremony of ROKS Jangbogo was held on September 12, 1991, and now, after 30 years, it achieved a major milestone last year by completing the 'first 300,000-mile safe navigation' by a Korean submarine.

The Jangbogo-class submarines have achieved remarkable results in various joint exercises such as the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), maintaining an accident-free record. Notably, during the Western Pacific exercise held near Guam from March 21 to 27, 1999, hosted by the U.S. 7th Fleet, ROKS Icheon penetrated a strong anti-submarine patrol net and fired a SUT (Surface and Underwater Target) torpedo from 8 km away, splitting the target, the decommissioned U.S. Navy cruiser USS Oklahoma City, in two. Despite such achievements, after more than 20 years of operation since construction, the Jangbogo-class submarines experienced performance degradation in combat systems, bow sonar, and attack periscopes, leading to demands for performance upgrades.

Subsequently, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and LIG Nex1, which constructed the Jangbogo-class submarines, succeeded in installing the towed array sonar for the first time on a Type 209 submarine through performance upgrades. The towed array sonar is an underwater surveillance system mounted on ships or submarines and operated in a towed configuration to detect underwater targets. With the installation of the towed array sonar, the upgraded Jangbogo-class submarines can detect the location of targets by sensing low-frequency noises generated by enemy ship generators or engines without being affected by their own noise. Additionally, the integrated combat system, considered the brain of the vessel, was also domestically developed.

The attack periscope was enhanced by adding infrared detection capabilities and improving resolution. Based on its experience constructing the Jangbogo-class submarines, DSME successfully exported the Nagapasa-class submarines (DSME1400) to Indonesia in 2011. Three units were exported in the first phase, and an additional three units were contracted in 2019. Through this, South Korea has solidified its position as one of the world’s top five submarine-exporting countries.

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