S. Korea embarks on system development of next-gen submarine rescue ship

By Park Sae-jin Posted : December 15, 2017, 11:17 Updated : December 15, 2017, 11:17

[Courtesy of DAPA]


South Korea's navy will have a new 5,200-ton submarine rescue ship capable of carrying out missions in extreme conditions and supplying armament and fuel to submarines.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will begin the system development of the new active submarine rescue (ASR) ship for delivery to the Navy in 2022, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), a state procurement agency, said Friday in a statement.

The "ASR-II" ship will be operable in extreme weather conditions, DAPA said, adding Daewoo Shipbuilding, involved in the construction of submarines, has created a basic design concept since 2015. A center wall inside it would allow a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) to move in and out.

The new ship can carry out rescue missions at a depth of about 500 meters (1,642 feet).

Currently, South Korea operates a Cheonghaejin-class ASR built in 1995 to rescue trapped sailors in submarines and provide support for naval operations. The Navy wants more because its submarine fleet gets bigger with 16 subs in operation. There are more than 20 ASRs worldwide, including four in Japan.
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