The South Korean Navy plans to build nine 3,000-ton submarines by 2030 to increase the length of its underwater operations and improve its precision strike capabilities, Yonhap News reported.

Yonhap said it received the information from an anonymous military source who said the submarines were scheduled to be built between 2020 and 2030. Precise designs were allegedly started earlier this year.

The new diesel-powered submarines will be equipped with vertical launchers that will dramatically improve the long-range precision strike capabilities of the Navy's submarine-to-surface missiles, according to the source. They are also expected to operate underwater for much longer than their smaller 1,800-ton and 1,200-ton counterparts.

According to Yonhap, it is likely that the subs will be deployed in areas near the border with North Korea and other areas vulnerable to outside threats.

Source: Yonhap News, Staff