Having surpassed the mark of four decades in service, South Korea is about to retire the first of its Type 209 submarines as part of its renewal program, which could soon translate into the transfer of the vessel to the allied Philippine Navy to reinforce its capabilities. As stated by local media, the vessel would have its farewell ceremony on the coming December 30, where the flags it has historically carried will be lowered while a military band performs the national anthem, after which it will be removed from operational service.
Expanding on the details, it is worth noting that the transfer of the submarine in question would be used as part of a broader maneuver that would, in turn, allow the new KSS-III units to be positioned as the main candidate in international markets. In that sense, the Philippine Navy could find itself benefited by the arrival of a submarine that allows it to begin the process of personnel training and instruction, thus accelerating what would be the incorporation process of those more advanced designs that are acquired. The alternative speculated by South Korean media lies in the unit being converted into a public exhibition piece within the country, or, failing that, used as a target in live-fire exercises.
In line with the above, it is important to highlight that a delegation from the manufacturer Hanwha Ocean has already met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in order to present the KSS-III as the platform to equip the country’s Navy. Particularly, the meeting took place in parallel with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit held in the city of Gyeongju, in South Korea. There, representatives of the aforementioned company reportedly even offered to establish a facility within the borders of the Philippines, where maintenance and repair work would be carried out, as well as crew training on advanced simulators.
Reflecting this, the Philippine Presidential Communications Office stated earlier this month: “Hanwha Ocean executives informed the President about their plans for the deployment of KSS-III PN submarines equipped with modern sonar and combat systems and lithium-ion batteries for greater underwater endurance, along with technology transfer and partnerships with local industries to advance the self-sufficient defense capability of the Philippines.”
Finally, it is important to remember that the Philippines is one of the few countries in the Indo-Pacific that lacks its own submarine capabilities for defense, which translates into an urgent need to move forward with an acquisition process that allows this gap to be addressed. In this regard, the South Korean KSS-III appear as one of the main alternatives in a process in which the French-origin Scorpene models, the U212 NFS presented jointly by Italy and Germany, and finally the S-80 promoted by Spain, also participate. The potential transfer of the aforementioned Type 209 could be one of multiple ways to sweeten Seoul’s offer, seeking to differentiate itself from the rest of the competitors.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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