[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Dosan Ahn Changho-class SLBM Launch Imminent

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Navy's first 3000-ton class submarine, the ‘Dosan Ahn Changho,’ is expected to begin the final test launch of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) within this year.

On the 13th, the Navy announced that the ‘Dosan Ahn Changho,’ developed with domestic independent technology, held its commissioning ceremony at the Geoje Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Okpo Shipyard.

The Dosan Ahn Changho is equipped with a vertical launch system with six ballistic missile launch tubes. This differs from the Navy’s existing 1200-ton (Jangbogo-I·209) and 1800-ton (Jangbogo-II·214) class submarines. SLBMs are regarded as a ‘game changer’ that can alter the battlefield dynamics by combining the stealth capabilities of submarines and underwater launch systems with the destructive power of ballistic missiles.

To successfully equip SLBMs on submarines, multi-stage test launches must be conducted. Typically, SLBM tests proceed in the order of ground ejection tests, underwater ejection tests, and submarine launches. Recently, military authorities have reportedly succeeded in the underwater launch test from a barge, following the first stage ground ejection test at the end of last year. The underwater launch applied the core SLBM technology called ‘cold launch’ (a cold launch system where the missile is pushed out of the launch tube by air pressure before the engine ignition).

It is expected that a test launch will be conducted off the East Coast within this year. The SLBM possessed by our military is one of the Hyunmoo-4 series missiles. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is developing the Hyunmoo-4 missiles, which include the ship-to-ground ballistic missile ‘Hyunmoo 4-2’ and the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) ‘Hyunmoo 4-4.’ With only the final test stage of direct submarine launch remaining, South Korea is effectively recognized as the eighth country in the world to possess core SLBM technology.

The Dosan Ahn Changho’s combat system, which acts as the brain of the submarine, and the sonar system, which serves as its sensory organ, were developed under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). The propulsion system, responsible for mobility, is equipped with domestically produced propulsion motors and charging generators. The overall domestic production rate is 76%.

Measuring 83.5 meters in length and 9.6 meters in width, the Dosan Ahn Changho is a diesel submarine equipped with an air-independent propulsion system (AIP) that extends submerged endurance. By installing domestically produced hydrogen fuel cells in the AIP, it can operate underwater for several days without surfacing. This allows it to travel much greater distances underwater, thereby expanding the operational range of the Navy’s submarines. Its maximum underwater speed is 20 knots (37 km/h), and it carries about 50 crew members. The Dosan Ahn Changho is armed with various weapons including mines, torpedoes, and guided missiles, possessing precision strike capabilities against key ground targets. After a one-year process of operational deployment, it is scheduled to be put into active service around August next year.

Only essential personnel attended the commissioning ceremony, including Navy Submarine Commander Major General Yang Yong-mo, Korea Submarine Project Group Director Brigadier General Jeon Yong-gyu of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Shipyard Director Park Du-seon, and the crew of the Dosan Ahn Changho.

Meanwhile, the second ship of the Jangbogo-III Batch-I class, the ‘Anmu,’ was launched in November last year, and the third ship, recently named ‘Sin Chaeho,’ is scheduled to have its launching ceremony next month.

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