A Submarine Featuring Air-independent Propulsion System
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) announced on Dec. 10 that an ROK Navy diesel submarine built by DSME has broken the world record for the longest continuous operation among submarines of its kind.
DSME has carried out an operational evaluation of the Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-083), Korea's first 3,000-ton submarine featuring an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. The submarine showed a 30 percent increase in continuous operation time compared to other diesel submarines. The exact time of continuous operation was kept under wraps because it is classified as a military secret.
The AIP system allows submarines with no external air supply to produce electricity during their underwater navigation. It is a key factor that determines the duration of underwater navigation.
The AIP system of the Dosan Ahn Changho is equipped with fuel cells for submarines successfully localized under the supervision of DSME. Korea succeeded in developing the fuel cell-powered AIP system for the second time in the world after Germany and for the first time for 3,000-ton mid-sized submarines in the world.
DSME began research on the localization of fuel cells in 2008 in cooperation with the Korean Agency for Defense Development. The project ended successfully in 2014.