South Korea has laid the keel for its second 3,600-ton class naval submarine, the state arms procurement agency said Friday, amid efforts to acquire advanced diesel-electric attack submarines for enhanced underwater capabilities against North Korean threats. A keel-laying ceremony for the second of three Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarines took place at shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean's dockyard in Geoje, 331 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Compared with the 3,000-ton Batch-I submarines, the Batch-II submarines are not only bigger in size but are equipped with the latest noise reduction technology for improved stealthiness, according to DAPA. They are also powered by a lithium-ion battery, which enables longer underwater missions. The Batch-II model is expected to have 10 vertical launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, up from six in the Batch-I submarines, making it a key asset for the military's Kill Chain preemptive strike platform designed to eliminate key North Korean nuclear and missile targets if there are clear signs of intended use. The new submarines are expected to be completed by 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2028 following trial operations. All three of the Batch-II submarines are currently under construction, with the first of the three submarines scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2027. Source: Yonhap News Agency