S Korea-nuclear subs

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- A review committee of the state arms agency on Friday passed the basic plan for South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program, officials said, moving forward with efforts to build the core naval asset under an agreement with the United States.

The decision-making body under the defense ministry approved the plan for the Jang Bogo N project during a regular meeting earlier in the day, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a release. The project will formally be launched in 2027.

Seoul unveiled the Jang Bogo N project in May, aiming to domestically develop and build nuclear-propelled, conventionally armed attack submarines, with the first vessel to be launched in the mid-2030s and to field them after the late 2030s.

The project will be subject to open bidding and exempted from a preliminary feasibility study usually required for arms acquisitions, allowing the government to accelerate its push for the construction.

The government plans to directly procure small modular reactors (SMR) for the vessel's propulsion system. Seoul has secured U.S. consent to build the submarines powered by high-assay, low-enriched uranium enriched to below 20 percent.

The project is expected to strengthen deterrence against nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea and boost efforts to expand underwater capabilities of the "Kill Chain" preemptive strike system, a pillar of the country's three-pronged defense architecture, DAPA said.

The total budget for the project has yet to be finalized, as the matter is still under deliberation, the arms agency added.

The committee also approved a plan for the Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile-I (KTSSM-I) Block-II, aimed at bolstering counter-artillery capabilities with a greater range by 30 percent than the previous Block-I version, dubbed Ure.

The KTSSM-I, also known as the "artillery killer," is designed to rapidly neutralize North Korean long-range artillery targeting the Seoul metropolitan area.

The program is scheduled to run from 2028-2035, with total costs estimated at around 537 billion won (US$395 million).

The committee passed a revised plan to produce the tactical multiband and multirole radio (TMMR) system at scale to enhance the military communications network.

The committee also approved a plan to replace an aging presidential helicopter with the S-92A Plus, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Other plans approved at the meeting include programs to replace harbor patrol boats and upgrade the unmanned mine-clearing surface vehicle, DAPA said.

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