The Heart of K-Defense Industry 'Jamsu-ham' Is Made Like This [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Hanwha Ocean Okpo Shipyard On-site Report
Construction of Large Submarine Jangbogo-III Batch-II in Full Swing
Reducing Noise by Increasing Number of Blades

In 320 BC, Alexander the Great, who ruled the ancient kingdom of Macedonia in northern Greece, attempted the first recorded dive by sealing the gaps of a wooden box with resin and wax to prevent water from seeping in, then hanging a heavy weight to submerge it. As time passed, in the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian artist and inventor, drew the first submarine blueprint. However, this design was never made public, fearing that “if used by malicious people, it could lead to terrifying consequences.”

With technological advancements, submarines progressed, and our navy also began developing submarines. Starting with the development of the small Dolphin-class submarine in 1984, the Jangbogo-class (3,000-ton class) was introduced in the late 1980s. Last month, a visit to the Submarine Command, the ‘National Strategic Unit’ in Jinhae, Gyeongnam, and Hanwha Ocean’s Okpo Shipyard offered a firsthand look at the remarkable technological advancements of the navy’s submarines.

At Hanwha Ocean Okpo Shipyard, the sections are being connected during the construction of the Dosan Ahn Changho ship.

Hanwha Ocean Geoje Plant, Jangbogo-III Batch-II Construction in Full Swing

The first thing that caught the eye at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje plant in Gyeongnam was the massive ‘Gantry Crane.’ Known as a symbol of Geoje Island, the gantry crane is a key facility with a self-weight of 5,500 tons and the ability to lift heavy loads of up to 900 tons to a height of 78 meters. The special ship production plant covers a total area of 135,000㎡ (41,000 pyeong), requiring a considerable drive just to move around inside the shipyard.

Entering the Special Ship Plant 3, the unmistakable shape of a submarine immediately drew attention. The submarines being built in Plant 3 were the Jangbogo-III Batch-II first and second vessels. ‘Batch’ refers to a group of ships constructed of the same type, with Batch-I → II → III indicating successive performance upgrades. However, the submarines under construction at the local plant that day had no names as the naming ceremony had not yet been held.

The Jangbogo-III Batch-II is significantly larger in size and displacement than the Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine, which was the first to be designed and built using our own technology. Measuring 89 meters in length with a surface displacement of 3,600 tons, the Jangbogo-III Batch-II is an AIP-equipped diesel-electric propulsion submarine, incorporating advanced technologies in underwater operational capability, detection, and armament.

The Jangbogo-III Batch-II did not have the typical cylindrical submarine shape. The submarine was divided into seven mission-specific sections and joined together through special welding work. It looked as if it had been sliced like a radish. Each section was numbered in the 10s, with the 10th section being the stern. Compared to existing submarines, the number of propeller blades was increased. Lee Jung-rak, head of production planning, explained, “Having more blades increases thrust while reducing noise.”

On the adjacent production line, internal welding work was underway on the 50th section. The section’s diameter alone was 7.7 meters, reminiscent of large pipelines. The section was rolled in place during internal welding to reduce defects by welding from underneath. Passing over a 20-meter-high wall to the next line, the fireproofing process line came into view. The tall wall served as a fire prevention measure to separate the production line handling fire. At the fireproofing process, a completed submarine stood silently ? the 209-class Jeongwoon. Undergoing major maintenance every six years and six months, which involves dismantling all structures for internal and external repairs, the Jeongwoon was noticeably smaller than the Jangbogo-III Batch-II.

State-of-the-Art Submarine 'Dosan Ahn Changho'... "A Masterpiece in the Submarine World"

At the naval base in Jinhae, Gyeongnam, the latest submarine built by Hanwha Ocean, the ‘Dosan Ahn Changho’ (SS-083), was proudly displaying its sleek exterior. The Dosan Ahn Changho is the first 3,000-ton submarine independently designed and built with our own technology. Commander Lee Soo-yeol of the Submarine Command likened the Dosan Ahn Changho to a ‘masterpiece.’ As the first vessel of the ‘Jangbogo-III’ (KSS-III) class, it measures 83.5 meters in length and 9.6 meters in width. This is a significant increase compared to the previous ‘Jangbogo-I’ (55.9m × 6.2m, 1,200-ton class) and ‘Jangbogo-II’ (65.3m × 6.3m, 1,800-ton class) submarines.

Peering inside the Dosan Ahn Changho through the manhole-shaped hatch revealed a dizzying structure looking down to the basement level. The passageway down was narrow, and the interior was cramped. The submarine’s internal space was divided into living quarters, armament storage, combat command room, engine room, and more, with various pipes, wires, and valves visible on the ceiling and walls.

At Hanwha Ocean Okpo Shipyard, sections are being connected and internal systems installed during the construction of the Dosan Ahn Changho ship.

The interior of the Dosan Ahn Changho was more spacious than previous submarines. The Jangbogo and Son Won-il classes had insufficient bedrooms and beds relative to the number of crew members, requiring a practice called ‘bunkering,’ where the duty officer vacated a bed for another to use. However, the Dosan Ahn Changho is divided into six-person and three-person rooms, with the captain’s quarters being the only ‘single room.’ The navy plans to select female crew members for submarines starting this year and deploy them from next year. Female officers and non-commissioned officers will be provided with a separate bedroom.

Inside the Dosan Ahn Changho are the submarine’s ‘brain,’ the command and control room, the ‘heart,’ the engine room, and powerful armament facilities capable of delivering strong firepower. The front part of the submarine is equipped with six vertical launch system (VLS) tubes and facilities that can automatically reload about 20 guided missiles, torpedoes, and mines within five minutes. The submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) loaded in the VLS can precisely strike critical land targets.

A space where the crew members of the Dosan Ahn Changho ship can rest

Interior of Dosan Ahn Changho-class Submarine Larger Than Previous Submarines

The submarines being built at Hanwha Ocean’s Okpo Shipyard and those deployed are not only crucial for national security but are also considered key players in the ‘K-Defense’ industry. With Poland recently purchasing a large number of Korean-made weapons such as tanks, self-propelled artillery, and light attack aircraft, and now initiating a submarine acquisition project, there is growing expectation that K-submarines will also dominate the global market.

Hanwha Ocean Challenges for Frigate Contract

Hanwha Ocean is also actively maintaining the navy’s new guided missile frigate, the fifth ship named ‘Daejeon.’ The Daejeon has a long history. The predecessor of the navy, the Joseon Coastal Guard, operated minesweepers inherited from the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Joseon Coastal Guard named its first ship Daejeon. The Daejeon participated in operations that sank North Korean armed spy ships infiltrating the South Sea in July 1979 and November 1980, playing a key role in protecting territorial waters for 24 years.

The name of the DD-919 Daejeon, which was decommissioned in March 2000, was revived for the fifth ship of the Daegu-class frigate, ‘FFX Batch-II,’ built by Hanwha Ocean. The engine features a hybrid propulsion system using gas turbines and propulsion motors, reducing underwater radiation noise. The ship can quickly approach or evade as needed. Notably, the domestically produced combat system integrates sensors such as 3D radar, tracking radar, electro-optical tracking equipment, and electronic warfare devices with weapons including guns, guided missiles, and torpedoes to detect, track, assess threats, control armaments, and execute command decisions and combat missions.

Since ordering the patrol ship (PCC) Anyang in December 1983, Hanwha Ocean has built over 100 special ships over 42 years (as of May). It has also entered the bidding for the ‘Ulsan-class Batch-III’ this month. The Ulsan-class Batch-III is called a ‘mini Aegis ship’ and involves constructing six 3,500-ton frigates. The first ship was awarded to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, while the second, third, and fourth ships were contracted to SK Ocean Plant (Samkang M&T). The contracts for the second, third, and fourth ships have been subject to controversy over low bidding.

Hanwha Ocean is confident about winning the contracts for the fifth and sixth ships. The industry expects HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to face difficulties in bidding due to controversies involving employees and military secrets. In September 2020, nine employees from the special ship division of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries were prosecuted for violating the Military Secrets Protection Act, with eight convicted. They were accused of illegally photographing and uploading classified materials related to special infiltration boats, the Korean next-generation destroyer (KDDX), and the Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarines to internal company chat rooms, thereby leaking military secrets. As a result, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been penalized with a 1.8-point deduction in weapon system proposal evaluations from November last year until November 2025, making the bidding process challenging.

Recently, at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX 2023) held at BEXCO in Busan, Hanwha Ocean unveiled a model of the Joint Firepower Ship for the first time. The Joint Firepower Ship can carry over 100 ballistic, cruise, and interceptor missiles, capable of unleashing a ‘rain of missiles’ in response to North Korean nuclear provocations. The ship, comparable in size to a large Aegis destroyer, has a displacement of 8,000 tons, a length of 150 meters, and a width of about 20 meters. The introduction of such a vessel is a world first.

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