Dosan Ahn Changho Returns After Crossing the Pacific Ocean

Proving the Technological Prowess of the Navy's 3,000-Ton-Class Submarine

The Dosan Ahn Changho submarine (SS-III), a 3,000-ton-class vessel independently designed and constructed with domestic technology, successfully completed a round-trip trans-Pacific voyage lasting 161 days and returned to the Jinhae Naval Base on the morning of September 1.

According to the Navy, the Dosan Ahn Changho submarine departed from the Jinhae Naval Base on March 25 and sailed a total distance of approximately 28,000 kilometers as it traveled via Victoria Port in western Canada, Hawaii in the United States, and Guam before returning to Jinhae. The Dosan Ahn Changho is the first South Korean submarine ever to cross the Pacific Ocean, and with this achievement, the Navy has confirmed its excellent operational endurance, equipment reliability, and crew comfort.

The Dosan Ahn Changho ship participating in the '2026 Rim of the Pacific Exercise' (RIMPAC) held at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, USA. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

During its deployment, the Dosan Ahn Changho submarine participated in the multinational maritime exercise, the 2026 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), held in Hawaii. Without being detected a single time during simulated combat by other vessels, the Dosan Ahn Changho successfully executed 28 mock attacks, showcasing the outstanding combat capabilities and stealth of the domestically manufactured submarine.

The Dosan Ahn Changho submarine also took part in the Korea-Canada combined cooperation exercise, verifying interoperability between the two navies. Utilizing the joint C4I command and communication system, it communicated with the Canadian Pacific Fleet Command, demonstrating its proficiency in multinational operational command.

Colonel Lee Byungil, commanding officer of the Dosan Ahn Changho submarine, stated, "The 161-day voyage of Dosan Ahn Changho, which demonstrated the strength of the Republic of Korea Navy and its submarines, will go down as a historic chapter that elevates the status of our indigenous submarines in the world. As a 'silent guardian,' the Dosan Ahn Changho will continue to fulfill its assigned missions to safeguard the safety and peace of the nation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.