Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On January 2nd, the Navy Submarine Force Command (NSFC) held a ceremony launching the “Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine” unit at the NSFC dock located in Jinhae District, Changwon City, South Gyeongsang Province.  The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine is Republic of Korean Navy’s first mid-class 3000-ton submarine (Chang Bogo-III).  

The launch ceremony, hosted by the head of the NSFC Chung Il-sik, was attended by the crew of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine, the NSFC’s soldiers and civilian employees, and officials with the next generation submarine project team of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Agency for Defense Development and the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Memorial Society. 

The launch ceremony started with an opening address and was followed by reading general orders and a report on progress, presenting a commander badge, the NSFC head’s address, the first commander’s inaugural speech and a closing address. The crew of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine, who participated in the launch ceremony, pledged to remember the spirit of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, who sacrificed himself for the independence movement and took the lead in enlightening the national independent spirit, while leading the units under water.  

“After years of hard work, we have finally made a world-class home-grown submarine based on the technologies we have accumulated since the introduction of the Chang Bogo class submarine, the Republic of Korean Navy’s first submarine that was introduced by our seniors in a foreign country far from our home about 20 years ago. I ask all the crew of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine to gather their energies in order to vitalize the submarine while we go through the delivery, force integration and operation processes,” Chung said in his address.  

Meanwhile, Colonel Kim Hyeong-jun has been appointed as the first commander of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine. Kim used to be the delivery operation officer of the Son Won-il class submarine and the commander of Chang Bogo class submarine, and recently took charge of the 3000-ton class submarine project while working for DAPA’s next generation submarine project team.

The Ministry of Defense has confidence Colonel Kim Hyeong-jun will successfully lead the delivery and force integration of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine. The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine will be delivered to the Navy in 2020 after a trial period, and will be deployed in operation after force integration.  

By Seung-Hoi, Ahn < seung@dema.mil.kr >

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