DAPA said on 10 September that DSME began working on the first KSS-III ‘Batch II' SSK on 13 August: the same day the RoKN commissioned Dosan An Chang-ho (pictured), the service's first KSS-III ‘Batch I' submarine. (RoKN)
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has secured a KRW985.7 billion (USD845.5 million) contract to build the second boat for the second batch of KSS-III (also known as Dosan Ahn Chang-ho)-class diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs) for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).
The Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a 10 September statement that the contract award for the boat, which is expected to be capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), comes after DSME began building the first KSS-III ‘Batch II' SSK on 13 August: the same day the RoKN commissioned its first KSS-III ‘Batch I' submarine, Dosan An Chang-ho , at DSME's facilities on Geoje Island.
South Korea, which is currently also building the second and third ‘Batch I' submarines, is expected to build a total of nine KSS-III-class boats (three per batch).
Janes understands that the first ‘Batch II' SSK is set to be handed over to the RoKN in 2026, while the second one is slated for delivery in 2028.
With a displacement of 3,600 tonnes and measuring 89 m in length, the ‘Batch II' submarines will be larger than those from the previous batch (3,358 tonnes and 83.5 m long), said DAPA, while pointing out that they will have the same overall beam (9.6 m), top speed (20 kt), and crew complement (50), as those from the first batch.
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