Navy to Pursue Manned-Unmanned Teaming Carrier by 2040

Navy, Marine Corps Present Reports at Parliamentary Audit

The Navy has decided to pursue several major force-acquisition projects simultaneously, including nuclear-powered submarines and a carrier for manned and unmanned forces.

On October 20, the Navy said during a parliamentary audit of Navy Headquarters and Marine Corps Headquarters by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee at Gyeryongdae that it would "step up efforts to build naval power based on artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced science and technology."

First, the Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine, being pursued at the government-wide level under the project name "Jangbogo N," aims to launch its lead ship in the mid-2030s. The Navy established a task force for the nuclear-powered submarine in May to prepare for its construction and operation. Led by the task force, the Navy is preparing for its role at each stage of the project, including design and construction, testing and evaluation, and preparations for deployment. It is also making advance preparations for operational deployment so the submarines can enter service without delay once they are ready.

Yonhap News Agency

The government plans to launch the lead ship of its Korean-style nuclear-powered submarine, which will use low-enriched uranium with an enrichment level below 20%, in the mid-2030s and deploy it in the late 2030s. Specific specifications have not been disclosed, but military authorities are reportedly planning to develop three nuclear-powered submarines in the 8,000-ton class. Their displacement would be more than double that of the Jang Yeongsil-class submarine (Jangbogo-III Batch-II), currently the largest submarine in the South Korean military's fleet.

The Navy is also pursuing the acquisition of a "Manned-Unmanned Teaming Carrier" by the early 2040s. The Navy initially pursued a light aircraft carrier capable of launching fighter jets at sea, but shifted its focus to a carrier for manned and unmanned forces as the importance of unmanned assets such as drones has grown in modern warfare. Also called a "drone carrier," this vessel is designed primarily to carry unmanned assets rather than manned aircraft.

In October 2025, the Navy proposed revising the requirements for its light aircraft carrier construction project to make it a carrier for manned and unmanned forces. The proposal is currently under review by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Navy aims to make a final decision on the revised requirements by the end of 2026 and deploy the carrier in the early 2040s. The carrier being pursued by the Navy would be 270 meters long and 70 meters wide, with a lightship displacement of more than 30,000 tons. Its displacement would be greater than that of the 30,000-ton-class light carrier the Navy had previously considered acquiring. It would also be much larger than the Dokdo, the largest surface ship currently in the South Korean military's fleet, which is 199 meters long and displaces 14,000 tons, with the carrier's displacement more than double that of the Dokdo.

The plan is to carry more than 20 unmanned assets, including maritime unmanned combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance and reconnaissance and for suicide attacks, and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for swarm attacks and mine warfare. The carrier will also carry more than 20 manned assets, including amphibious assault and attack helicopters and high-speed landing craft.

The Navy said it would build Korean Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) ships and Maritime Intelligence Ship-III vessels by the early to mid-2030s, and acquire ship-to-ground ballistic guided missiles, long-range maritime suicide-attack UAVs, and SM-3 and SM-6 guided missiles. It also plans to deploy Korean destroyers from the late 2030s onward to replace aging Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers and Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers, and to acquire domestically developed shipborne ballistic missile interceptors to strengthen its ability to detect, track and intercept North Korean missiles. The Navy has also proposed requirements for KSS-IV, a conventional submarine project intended to replace its aging Jangbogo-II (KSS-II) submarines.

At the audit, Chief of Naval Operations Kim Gyeongryul stressed that "amid the uncertainty of today's international order and changes in the security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the importance of the sea in supporting the nation's survival and future is growing." He added that "strong naval power is the foundation for protecting our maritime interests and a core capability that supports maritime sovereignty, as well as the nation's peace and prosperity."

Meanwhile, Marine Corps Headquarters, which was audited alongside the Navy, identified the transition to a "quasi-fourth-service system" for the Marine Corps, also a campaign pledge of President Lee Jae-myung, as a key priority. To this end, the Marine Corps is working to establish a Marine Corps Operations Command by 2028. It plans to relocate Marine Corps Headquarters, currently in Hwaseong, to Gyeryongdae, where the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters are located, and have the new Marine Corps Operations Command use the existing Marine Corps Headquarters building.

In addition, the Marine Corps plans to take operational control of its 1st Division from the Army by the end of this year and of its 2nd Division by 2028. The Marine Corps also said it is working to secure key and essential capabilities, including next-generation amphibious assault vehicles (KAAV-II), amphibious attack helicopters, high-speed combat boats, K2 tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles for the Northwestern Islands, an advanced perimeter security system, and Korean-style tactical surface-to-surface missiles.

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