First Submarine of Class 214 delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ^ | Jan. 7, 2008

[sukhoi-30mki]

First Submarine of Class 214 delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy

(Source: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; issued Jan. 7, 2008)

On 26th December 2007 the Republic of Korea Navy took over command of the first of three Class 214 submarines, equipped with outer-air-independent fuel cell propulsion systems.

The design and major components of the submarine were provided by the Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), a company within ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

The Class 214 submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy are being built under licence from HDW at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. Co. shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea). The submarine, named “SON WON IL”, will reinforce the submarine flotilla of the Republic of Korea Navy, which consisted until now of nine units of the Class 209.

The new submarine has a displacement of approximately 1,700 tons, is 65 metres long and operated by a regular crew of 27 men. It has a combined diesel electric and fuel cell propulsion system. Equipped with ultra-modern sensors and an integrated Command and Weapon Control System, it is optimally suited to its future reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. After Germany and Italiy the Republic of Korea is the third country operating submarines with the revolutionary fuel cell propulsion system within its navy.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, located in Hamburg / Germany is part of ThyssenKrupp group’s ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG. Since the merger in 2005, eight European shipyards – Blohm +Voss, Blohm + Voss Repair, HDW-Gaarden, Hellenic Shipyards, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), Kockums, Nobiskrug and Nordseewerke – as well as several marine technologies companies are combined in one company.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is one of the leading systems provider in European shipbuilding with about 8,700 employees, a wide portfolio, great technological competence and continuous innovations in shipbuilding.

HDW is the competence centre for the development and the building of submarines within the network. The company is world market leader in building non-nuclear submarines.

-ends-

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Hans]

Three cheers for the South Korean Navy!!!

[ASA Vet]

As an Island nation, Korea certainly needs a navy.

[gridlock]

Why don’t we have at least a dozen of these in the US Navy?

[Little Ray]

Because they are, essentially, defensive weapons. You can’t send ‘em across the ocean to patrol and destroy the enemies’ naval forces and merchant marine (can we attack merchant ships any more?). Also, they can't keep up with fleet.

You are right. We should have some similar subs for our own forces to train against and service in one should be as prestigious as being in one of the aggressor squadrons for "Top Gun" training.

[rahbert]

We lease the Swedish subs for ASW practice. Far cheaper
than owning. Plus the Swedes get to visit Kaliph.

[gridlock]

Of course, the US Navy has defensive responsibilities as well. We could use some nice quiet boats to patrol the waters off of San Diego, Pearl, Bremerton or Norfolk.

If you want to, paint them white with a big red stripe and call them part of the Coast Guard.

[Little Ray]

Cheaper, but I assume they’re manned by Swedes so the expertise goes home with the crew.
We should do what we can to keep the expertise in our own Navy. (And the subs and crews will be available for “special” missions...)

I hope we train against the these guys real hard...

[ArrogantBustard]

Uh ... Li'l Kim?

Can you hear me now?

Ooopps ... no, you can't.

But we can hear you, you stinkin' commie bastard.

[Little Ray]

The US Armed Forces generally tries to defend our country on the enemy’s soil or in their national waters. If it gets to the point that we have to mount a defense of our coast line, we’re screwed.

[Friend_from_the_Frozen_North]

Ping for later...

[gridlock]

We were defending our country in Europe during WWII, but there are a heck of a lot of wrecks off the New Jersey coast that were lost to German submarines. If the Navy and the Merchant Marine cannot get out of the harbors, it’s going to be hard to bring the fight overseas.

[Little Ray]

We’re not fighting that war, now or in the future. Nobody has that sort of sub force operational (except us...).
Besides, the USN can field a pretty terrifying ASW air arm, if it needs to. They didn’t have this available until the middle of WWII.

And, I’m pretty sure, they keep an eye on “enemy” subs when they leave port.

However, if’n I were a bad guy, I wouldn’t bother with subs. I hire some container ships freighters, modify them just a little, and use ‘em to smuggle and deploy mines into US harbors. Unit for unit, mines were more effective torpedoes...

[The Great RJ]

Imagine sailing on a submarine where kim-chi is a mess hall staple.

[El Gato]

Because they are, essentially, defensive weapons. ou can’t send ‘em across the ocean to patrol and destroy the enemies’ naval forces and merchant marine (can we attack merchant ships any more?).

We have shores to defend too. And some "short" sea lanes as well, to the Caribbean and South America. And as you point out, we need them to train against, because many of our potential adversaries have small quiet subs.

I'm not sure that the AIP subs have quite the same limitations as conventional Diesel electrics. They can stay down a long time. Maybe not as long as a nuke, but they are smaller, which can be a stealth feature, and could be as quiet.

[El Gato]

We lease the Swedish subs for ASW practice. Far cheaper than owning.

And a fairly recent development. A good one I think.

[sukhoi-30mki]

I believe that Sweden leased only one Gotland class sub(it only has 3) to the USN & that ended some time in the middle of last year.I don’t think you could call that regular practise given that the Swedes have their own requirements.