HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has completed the mid-life refit of Republic of Korea Navy submarine ROKS Yun Bong-Gil.
The fifth boat of the Sohn Won-yil-class has been undergoing an overhaul since the end of January 2023; as per a recent HD HHI press statement, the boat’s upgrade was completed towards the end of June, more than a month ahead of schedule.
Head of the Special Ship Business Unit at HD HHI Joo Won-ho commented: “The early delivery of the overhauled Yun Bong-Gil following the on-time delivery of Shin Chae-Ho demonstrates our strong capabilities in both submarine construction and maintenance.
“We will continue to contribute to national security as a key partner in safeguarding the seas of the Republic of Korea.”
The firm’s statement said the refit constituted the largest-ever overhaul project for a South Korean submarine, involving more than 1,620 separate maintenance tasks.
The 65-metre-long submarine entered service in 2016; she displaces 1,800 tons fully submerged and is capable of 20 knots underwater. She has an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system meaning she can stay submerged for up to two weeks at a time.
She is armed with domestically-built Haeseong-3 cruise missiles similar to the U.S. Tomahawk which fly supersonically; a variant of the land-based Hyunmoo-3 projectile, it is thought to have a range of up to 1,000km.
HD HHI said it continues to expand its submarine activities and is currently developing export models, including a 1,500-ton submarine for Peru, as well as 2,300-ton and 800-ton class platforms.
- You can read more details on the HD HHI website