Yugo-class submarine

Last updated
Class overview
NameYugo class
Builders Yukdaeso-ri shipyard [1]
OperatorsSee Operators
Succeeded by Sang-O class
In commissionLate 1960s
Completed8
Active4
Lost3
Retired1
General characteristics
Type Midget submarine
Displacement90 up to 110 tons (submerged)
Length20 m (65 ft 7 in)
Beam2 m (6 ft 7 in)
PropulsionSingle-shaft MTU diesel engine
Speed
  • 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Capacity4–6 special forces troops
ArmamentSome armed with two 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes, possibly in drop collars.
NotesFirst successful indigenous midget submarine

The Yugo-class submarine is a class of four midget submarines used primarily for infiltration and espionage by North Korea. The Yugo class was given its name because it was built to plans supplied to North Korea by Yugoslavia in 1965. [2]

Contents

Design

The Yugo class is a family of midget submarines that are not all identical. The displacement is either the standard 90 tons of the original Yugoslavian design for the early units or 110 tons for the later units. Armament is either a pair of 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes (early units) or a pair of 533 mm (21 in) short torpedo tubes (later units).[ citation needed ]

All units have the same range: 550 nautical miles (1,020 km; 630 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface and 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged.[ citation needed ]

History

The final vessel was built in the 1980s, after which they were superseded by the Sang-O-class submarines. On June 12, 1998, one out of six submarines was captured by the South Koreans. [2] [3]

In the early 2000s, Vietnam "gained experience" with these craft prior to ordering Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines for denial of area capabilities, specifically against China's fleet per the Foreign Policy Research Institute. [4]

In March 2016, it was announced that the North Korean Navy had lost one of the ships during exercises. [5] [6] [7]

Operators

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 "SSM Yugo and P-4 class (Midget Submarine) (SSW)". December 26, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-12-26.
  3. Roblin, Sebastien (March 18, 2017). "How a North Korean Spy Submarine's Mechanical Meltdown Ended in Shocking Tragedy". The National Interest.
  4. "Building from Scratch: Rebirth of the Philippine Navy – Foreign Policy Research Institute". www.fpri.org.
  5. "North Korea has reportedly lost a submarine". CBS News . Reuters. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  6. "North Korea submarine 'missing' as US-South Korea drills continue". BBC . 12 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  7. Payton, Matt (13 March 2016). "North Korean submarine that went missing is believed to have sunk, new reports claim" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  8. "38 NORTH SPECIAL REPORT: A NEW EMPHASIS ON OPERATIONS AGAINST SOUTH KOREA" (PDF). www.38north.org. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
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  12. "New Photos Reveal Details of Cuba's Tiny, Lethal Attack Submarine". 17 May 2021.