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South Korea’s navy on June 9 launched a new submarine equipped with advanced sensors and weapons systems and capable of staying underwater for up to 50 days. The 1,800-ton 214-class submarine was launched from the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southeastern port of Ulsan, the Navy said in a press release. It is the first of a series of nine 214-class submarines that will be built locally over the next 12 years, navy sources said.The vessel has a top speed of 20 knots with a crew of 40 and is armed with advanced weapons including anti-ship cruise missiles. Named the Son Won-Il after an admiral who helped found the South Korean navy, the vessel is the country’s first submarine equipped with an air-independent propulsion system, a device that extends the duration of underwater operation. South Korea’s Navy, which has also deployed four 4,000-ton new destroyers, plans to have its first AEGIS destroyer, weighing 7,000 tons, built by 2008.


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