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| Chang Bogo Type 209/1200 Submarine (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Yi Whan-woo
The Navy will inaugurate its first submarine command early next month in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, the Ministry of National Defense said Sunday.
The command's fleet will be composed of under 2,000-ton submarines to begin with, but will be expanded to vessels displacing 3,000 tons.
"Feb. 2 is the date for the launch," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said, refusing to give other details.
The inauguration of the command comes at a time when North Korea maintains a significant numerical superiority with its fleet of 70 subs, about 20 of them being of the 1,800-ton Romeo class. Recent reports have said the North is putting finish touches on an upgraded version of the Soviet-designed Romeo that it has converted into being vertical missile launch capable.
Read the full story at Korea Times