Retired ROKS Jang Bogo to Be Transferred to Poland Free of Charge... Supporting an 8 Trillion Won Submarine Contract Bid

At the end of this year, ROKS Jang Bogo (1,200-ton class), the first submarine of the ROKN, will be transferred to Poland free of charge.
According to diplomatic and security sources on the 26th, the government is considering the free transfer of ROKS Jang Bogo to support domestic companies hoping to participate in Poland’s next-generation submarine acquisition program, the Orka Project.
Through the Orka Project, Poland aims to acquire three new 3,000-ton class submarines. The project is valued at approximately 3.4 trillion won, and including maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), the total could reach up to 8 trillion won.
Several global companies are competing for the Orka Project, including South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Italy’s Fincantieri, and Sweden’s Saab AB.
The ROKS Jang Bogo to be transferred to Poland was built at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Germany beginning in 1988 and was launched in 1991. The ROKN acquired the submarine in 1992 and deployed it for operations in 1994.
Acquired in 1992, ROKS Jang Bogo has been in service for 34 years. Over this period, it safely sailed a total of 633,000 kilometers—the equivalent of circling the globe 15 times—before completing its mission. Typically, the service life of warships and submarines is set at over 30 years, after which they are retired and replaced.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter