South Korea unveils new diesel-electric submarine design for export market

The new DSME2000 submarine design from DSME. Photo c/o IHS Jane's.

As part of International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2019 in Busan, South Korea, South Korean naval shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has unveiled a new diesel-electric submarine design which it intends to sell into the export market, especially Southeast Asia and South America.

The design, called the DSME2000, benefits from the technology used on the KSS-III indigenous submarine program which resulted to the Dosan Ahn Changho-class diesel-electric attack submarine for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).

The new design also benefited from the recent success on the export of Improved Chang Bogo-class submarines for the Indonesian Navy which has been South Korea’s only export market for submarines so far.

The new DSME2000 is larger than the Chang Bogo-class (based on German Type 209/1400 design) and the Son Won Il-class (based on German Type 214 design) used by the ROKN with both designs displacing less than 2,000 tons, but smaller than the Dosan Ahn Changho-class which displaces at more than 3,500 tons.

The DSME2000 displaces at 2,000 tons, is 71.1 meters long and has a diameter of 6.5 meters. Using  lithium-ion batteries  and an AC propulsion electric motor, it has a maximum submerged speed of 20 knots and maximum surfaced speed of 10 knots. It also has a maximum range of 10,000 nautical miles at cruising speed. Total crew space is good for up to 40 officers and sailors including Special Forces guests.

It will have 8 torpedo tubes and up to 16 torpedoes, although this can be mixed with mines and submarine-launched anti-ship missiles. 

The submarine will also have a mast sensor suite that includes radar, optronics, electronic support measures (ESM), satellite communication (SATCOM), and up to two communication retractable masts. It will also have a Cylindrical Hydrophone Array, an Intercept Detection and Ranging Sonar, Own Noise Analysis, Flank Array Sonar, Passive Ranging Sonar, Active Operation Sonar, and Towed Array Sonar.


[1] Jane’s Navy International
[2] Naval News