HD Hyundai completes maintenance on ROK Navy submarine

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed a major depot maintenance project on the Republic of Korea Navy’s Type 214 diesel submarine, Yun Bong-gil.

The vessel was delivered back to the navy from the company's Ulsan shipyard 35 days ahead of schedule, the company said. The maintenance project, which began on January 30, 2024, involved a total of 1,620 planned and unplanned maintenance tasks on the submarine's hull and equipment.

HD Hyundai described it as the largest-scale depot maintenance project it has undertaken.

The Yun Bong-gil is the fifth Type 214 submarine in the South Korean fleet and was originally delivered by the same builder in June 2016.

The 65.3-metre submarine has a submerged displacement of 1,800 tons and is equipped with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system that allows for underwater operations for up to two weeks. It is also armed with domestically produced cruise missiles.

The company also noted it is developing various export submarine models, including a 1,500-ton submarine for Peru.