Navy's flagship submarine returns after longest voyage across Pacific
Summary
The Korean Navy’s flagship submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho returned to Jinhae Naval Base on Tuesday after completing the first and longest round-trip transit across the Pacific. The 3,000-ton submarine spent 161 days at sea after departing Jinhae on March 25. The 28,000-kilometer voyage included port calls in Hawaii and Guam for RIMPAC drills and a stop in Victoria, western Canada. The Navy said the trip showcased the vessel’s endurance, reliability and crew habitability.
Key Facts
- ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho arrived at Jinhae Naval Base 161 days after leaving the same base on March 25.
- The submarine completed a 28,000-kilometer round-trip voyage across the Pacific Ocean.
- Its itinerary included Hawaii, Guam and Victoria in western Canada.
- During RIMPAC, the submarine carried out 28 simulated attacks without being detected by enemy vessels.
- The Navy said the voyage was the first trans-Pacific round trip by a vessel designed and built with domestic technology.
The 3,000-ton ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine arrives at Jinhae Naval Base in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, after completing its 161-day round-trip voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Courtesy of Korean Navy
A flagship submarine of the Korean Navy returned home Tuesday after completing the first and longest round-trip transit across the Pacific Ocean, the armed forces said.
The 3,000-ton indigenous ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho arrived at the Jinhae Naval Base, 161 days after it departed from the same base on March 25, the Navy said.
The 28,000-kilometer voyage included making port calls in Hawaii and Guam to participate in U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational drills, before traveling to Victoria, western Canada in May.
The trans-Pacific journey marks a milestone in Korean submarine history and the first for a vessel designed and built with domestic technology, the Navy said in a release.
"It is an accomplishment that demonstrates the operational endurance, equipment reliability and crew habitability of Korea's advanced, indigenous warship to the international community," it said.
During RIMPAC, the vessel boasted its superior combat and stealth capabilities by successfully executing 28 simulated attacks without being detected by enemy vessels.
Its participation in combined drills with Canada's Royal Navy was an opportunity to verify interoperability between the two navies and demonstrate multinational command capabilities, the Navy said.
The Navy was scheduled to hold a welcome ceremony later in the day for Dosan Ahn Chang-ho's return at the Navy Submarine Force Command in Changwon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul.
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