S. Korean Navy launches SLBM-capable 3,000-ton Shin Chae-ho submarine

Like its predecessors the Dosan Ahn Changho and Ahn Mu, this new submarine pays homage to a Korean independence activist with its name

Boo Suk-jong, chief of South Korea’s naval operations, and Lee Deok-nam, the daughter-in-law of Korean independence activist Shin Chae-ho, pose for a picture along with DAPA officials and others at the launch ceremony for the third KSS-III Batch 1 submarine, the 3,000-ton Shin Chae-ho, of the ROK Navy, held Tuesday at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan. (provided by Republic of Korea Navy)

The Republic of Korea Navy and Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a launch ceremony Tuesday afternoon for the Shin Chae-ho, a 3,000-ton submarine developed with domestic technology by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan.

The Shin Chae-ho is the third submarine in KSS-III (Dosan Ahn Changho-class) Batch 1, following the Dosan Ahn Changho and Ahn Mu, in that order. The term “batch” is used to refer to a group of warships produced under the same model.

The Shin Chae-ho carries six launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) — the same as the Dosan Ahn Changho, which successfully launched an SLBM on Sept. 15.

In a congratulatory address that day, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Boo Suk-jong said, “The importance of maritime routes is inscribed on our national vision of the ‘Republic of Korea as a naval power,’ and establishing the naval capabilities to guarantee unhindered maritime activities is a life-or-death matter for our country.”

“I look forward to seeing the Shin Chae-ho that we are launching today serving its role proudly as a key force in an advanced navy that will achieve certain victory, and as a core element in our national maritime capabilities,” he said.

After a trial operation evaluation period, the Shin Chae-ho is scheduled for delivery to the ROKN in 2024, at which point it will go through an integration process for combat deployment.

The Shin Chae-ho takes its name from a Korean independence activist. The ROKN has named KSS-III submarines after figures who contributed to the Korean independence movement or to post-liberation national development.

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, senior staff writer

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