Sinpo-class submarine
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Sinpo South Shipyard |
| Operators: |
 Democratic People's Republic of Korea
|
| Preceded by: | Sang-O-class submarine |
| Building: | 6 |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Active: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Diesel submarine |
| Displacement: | 2,000 |
| Length: | 65.5m (estimated) |
| Beam: | 6.6m (estimated) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel-electric (?) |
| Speed: | (estimated) 16 knots on surface, 10 knots dived. (estimated) |
| Range: | 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km) (estimated) |
| Complement: | 70-80 (estimated) |
| Crew: | 30-50 (estimated) |
| Armament: | Pukkuksong-1 (KN-11) |
The Sinpo class submarine, also called the Gorae ("whale") or Pongdae class, is a new class of submarine produced in North Korea. One submarine has been observed under construction. It is the largest submarine designed and built for the Korean People's Navy.
The design may be influenced by older Yugoslavian designs such as Heroj and Sava. There has been speculation the design is influenced by modern Russian submarines of Kilo class, or Golf class submarine, but the submarine is significantly smaller than these designs.
Despite being possibly less advanced and capable than western or South Korean vessels, they could still represent a significant step forward by the submarine fleet of the Korean People's Navy.
If the design is successful, the Sinpo class could replace the aging Romeo-class submarines. However it is possibly a one-off experimental submarine as the Korean People's Navy has built previously.
Satellite images suggest the presence of an opening on the conning tower indicating the presence of a launch tube for one or two missiles.
In August 2016, during the annual joint US-South Korea military exercise, a submarine presumed to be this one launched what is believed to be a KN-11 ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan. North Korea's first released pictures of the submarine associated it with the test of the KN-11 missile.
South Korean media has suggested that North Korea managed to reverse-engineer or modify one of the old Golf-II hulls that North Korea imported in the early 1990s. However, this claim has also been refuted by some western analyst sources.
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Wikipedia