South Korea starts construction of KSS III Batch II class submarine.

According to information published by the Korea Herald on December 30, 2021, South Korea has started the construction of a new KSS III Batch II submarine with improved ballistic missile capabilities, officials said.
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Model of KSS III Batch II class submarine (Picture source: Republic of Korea Armed Forces)

The first steel cutting ceremony for the first Batch-I vessel was held in November 2014 and the keel-laying took place in May 2016.

The class has a submarine version of the Korean Vertical Launching System which will be able to carry up to ten indigenous "Chonryong" land-attack cruise missiles and "Hyunmoo" submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), becoming the first submarine in the South Korean navy to have this kind of capability.

It will also have many other improvements compared to its predecessors built with a greater degree of South Korean technology, especially in the later batches, which will include Samsung SDI lithium-ion batteries.

Measured to displace over 3,800 tonnes (3,700 long tons) submerged during sea trials, they are the largest conventional submarines ever built by South Korea.

The Batch II vessels is expected to have 10 vertical launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM).