South Korea’s New Submarine Rescue Ship ‘Ganghwado’ Joins the Fleet to Boost Naval Safety

The Ganghwado, a 5,600-ton submarine rescue ship (ASR-II) dedicated to safeguarding South Korean Navy submarines and their crews, hoisted its commissioning flag on Navy Foundation Day (November 11). The commissioning ceremony, held at Jinhae Naval Base, marked the formal addition of the Ganghwado to the naval fleet. A commissioning ceremony signifies that a vessel has officially been inducted as a Navy warship after a thorough acquisition process.

Vice Admiral Choi Seong Hyuk, Commander of the Naval Operations Command, who oversaw the event, remarked, “The security situation we face is more serious than ever.” He urged all personnel on the Ganghwado to “continue refining operational and tactical skills and fully master equipment usage during the remaining force integration period to develop top-level mission execution capabilities.”

Construction of the Ganghwado began in 2020. After being launched in 2021, the ship underwent rigorous testing and evaluation before being delivered to the Navy on November 1.

Measuring 120 meters in length, 19 meters in width, and 40 meters in height, the Ganghwado can reach any site within waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula within 24 hours in case of a submarine distress incident, traveling at speeds over 20 knots (approximately 37 km/h). The ship is equipped with an automatic dynamic positioning system (DPS), a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV), and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) for locating and rescuing distressed submarines and crew members.

A key feature of the Ganghwado is its ability to launch and recover the DSRV through a center well. This design significantly reduces weather-related operational constraints compared to the crane-based system used on the previous ASR-I Cheonghaejin. As a result, the Ganghwado can conduct rescue operations even in adverse conditions such as heavy rain, snow, or strong winds.

Captain Kwon Hyun Tae of the Ganghwado expressed his sense of responsibility as the first captain of a submarine rescue ship dedicated to the safety of submarine crew members. He pledged, “I will devote all my efforts to ensuring the Ganghwado performs its missions and demonstrates its highest capabilities.”