South Korea’s DSME launches second Indonesian Type 209/1400 SSK

South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) launched the second of three Type 209/1400 diesel-electric submarines (SSK) for the Indonesian Navy (The Jakarta Post).

Indonesia ordered the three submarines in a $1.1 billion U.S. deal with South Korea in 2011. The first SSK was launched for sea trials in March of this year and is due for delivery by March 2017 (IHS Jane’s).

The Type 209 SSK has been produced under license by DSME from the German naval giant ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) since 1993. The Type 209 Chang Bogo-class currently forms the mainstay of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN)’s sub-surface fleet. DSME also independently offers the type for export.

Per IHS Jane’s, Indonesia’s forthcoming Type 209 SSKs will be capable of anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare, special forces operations, and mine-laying.

Notes & Comments:

The Type 209 is among the most popular conventional submarine designs. Since its introduction in the 1970s, the design (in successive variants) has been embraced by 13 countries with more than 60 boats built and still under production. While a legacy design at its core, the scale and distributed production and support infrastructure (found in South Korea, Korea, and India) translate into the Type 209’s balance of affordability, maturity, and performance.

The Indonesian Navy is in the midst of a significant fleet modernization program. Jakarta currently has two new frigates (derived from the Dutch SIGMA 10514 design) in the procurement pipeline with another four planned. Its forthcoming Type 209 SSKs will replace its aging Cakra-class (older Type 209) submarines.