Korean Information Service, Korea is set to unveil its new submarine and destroyer equipped with an air defense combat system in the coming weeks as part of efforts to boost naval capabilities, defense officials said Tuesday (May 15).
The country’s defense acquisition agency said that a 1,800-ton submarine will be launched early next month. It will be Korea’s second submarine of that kind, following a previous one launched last June.
“The diesel-electric submarine has been developed in partnership with Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG,” an official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. “The new submarine will be commissioned around November 2008.”
The submarine will be named “Jeongji,” after a Korean military officer of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), who led a series of victories in battle with the Japanese Navy.
Korea also owns several rather outdated 209 diesel-electric submarines, also made by the German firm.
The country also plans to launch its first Aegis combat system-enabled destroyer next week.
Aegis is the name of the water-tight air defense system that will be part of the advanced guided missile destroyer, KDX-III, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Korea will become the fifth nation in the world to own such a ship equipped with the Aegis combat system, according to Navy officials.
“We plan to build two more Aegis combat system-enabled destroyers by 2012 in a bid to keep up with the naval powers of Japan and China,” a Navy spokesman said.
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