Saturday, December 02, 2023

South Korea to develop stealth submarines
By Jeong Hyeon-hwan & Kim Tae-gyu, UPI News Korea


A model of a prototype for a stealth submarine developed by South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean is displayed. 
Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean
NO APPARENT FORWARD TORPEDO TUBES, THIS IS A NUKE ICBM 
CRUISE MISSLE SUB

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea, is planning to develop stealth submarines.

Hanwha Ocean announced Wednesday the shipbuilding giant has signed a contract with the government agency Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement toward fulfilling such a goal.

Under the agreement, the company will concentrate on developing stealth technology, aiming to begin production of a prototype submarine by May 2028.

The focus will be on new degaussing devices designed to cut down on the magnetic field generated by submarines so they can better avoid detection

To enhance stealth capabilities, Hanwha Ocean plans to develop customized technologies for component coils, power supplies, control units and magnetic sensor designs.

Hanwha Ocean is the only South Korean company to boast a full range of submarines, with its midsize vessels in commission under Korea's and Indonesia's navies.

"With the submarines being hidden under water, there has been less of an interest in their stealth technology than, for say, fighter jets. We feel, hence, that there is actually a big room for growth," a Hanwha Ocean official told UPI News Korea.

"Our aim is to develop submarines equipped with the world's best stealth technology, an effort that will help us improve our leadership in the global maritime defense market, including the United States and Europe," he said.

In October, the Agency for Defense Development designated the company as the preferred negotiator for developing energy source systems for unmanned submarines, with its mission being the development of multipurpose modular submarines that can be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

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