SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The South Korean Navy said on Tuesday that its An Mu submarine has completed a roughly 7,000-kilometer round-trip blue-water deployment and overseas training mission without a single equipment failure.
The 3,000-ton An Mu, part of the KSS-III program, returned to Jinhae Naval Port after taking part in the South Korea–U.S. combined anti-submarine exercise “2025 Silent Shark.” The Navy held a welcome ceremony on Tuesday, hosted by Rear Adm. Kim Tae-hoon, acting commander of the Navy Submarine Command.
The submarine departed Jinhae in early November and arrived in Guam on Nov. 17. It trained with U.S. forces for about a month in waters near Guam, conducting submarine tracking and attack drills, free-play engagements and airborne anti-submarine warfare exercises aimed at improving combined operational capability and interoperability.
An Mu’s commander, Col. Ahn Geon-young, said the deployment demonstrated the submarine’s long-range sailing capability and stable performance in high-temperature tropical waters.
Ahn said the visit showcased South Korea’s submarine operating capability, including system integration that allows crews to focus on missions, improved onboard living conditions and high equipment reliability.
Canada is pursuing the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project to acquire up to 12 diesel-powered submarines to replace its four Victoria-class boats, which are due to retire in the mid-2030s.
A consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has proposed Hanwha Ocean’s 3,000-ton Jangbogo-III Batch-II diesel-powered submarine for the project and has been shortlisted alongside Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the Navy said.
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