S. Korean navy launches 7th class-214 submarine

South Korea's navy on Tuesday launched its seventh class-214, 1,800-ton submarine, the country's top shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industry said.

The launching ceremony was held in the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan, attended by chief of naval operations Admiral Jung Ho-sub, the submarine's builder said in a statement.

Hyundai Heavy has won six of nine orders to build 1,800-ton submarines procured by the South Korean Navy. The ninth submarine has been under construction from February 2014.

The seventh will be delivered to the navy by July 2017 after seaborne operational trials.

The diesel-electric air independent propulsion (AIP) submarine, which measures 65 meters in length and 7 meters in width, can sail at a maximum speed of 20 knots with a crew of 40.

With a 1,800-ton displacement capacity, the country's largest-class submarine can dive up to 400 meters and last for two weeks under water with fuel cells.

It is loaded with long-range submarine-to-ground cruise missiles developed by the country's own technology, torpedoes and mines, featuring an automatic simultaneous target tracking system and a torpedo guidance and detection system.

The submarine was named after the late Hong Beom-do, a former commander-in-chief of Korean Independent Army who achieved splendid victories over the Japanese Imperial Army during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonization of the Korean peninsula. Enditem