Chang Bogo - class submarine The Chang Bogo class is a variant of the Type 209 diesel - electric attack submarine initially developed by Howaldtswerke - Deutsche Werft ( HDW ) of Germany , intended for service with the South Korean Navy and Indonesian Navy . A Daewoo - upgraded model of the Chang Bogo class Type 209 is being independently exported by Korea to Indonesia in 2012 , after a series of heavy competitions from Russian , French , and German - Turkish consortiums including from Germany ' s original Type 209 . The variant is being considered for possible purchase by Thailand as well , as both newly built and second - hand options . The class is named for Korean maritime figure Jang Bogo . Armaments . The Chang Bogo class submarines are armed with 8 bow 533 mm torpedo tubes and 14 torpedoes . The ships are also armed with Sub - Harpoon missiles and can be armed with 28 Mines in place of Torpedoes and Harpoon . The class is armed with SUT - Surface and Underwater Target Torpedoes . Upgrades . The South Korean " Chang Bogo " - class submarines , originally based on Type 209 / 1200 , had reportedly been heavily upgraded from a time early in the 21st century , which if properly undertaken was supposed to include domestic hull stretch augmentation from 1 , 200 tons to 1 , 400 tons , and installment of domestically developed Torpedo Acoustic Counter Measures ( TACM ) . These upgrades could have been affected due to Korean economic problems of the late 1990s , which affected other plans to acquire nine 1 , 500 - ton AIP - equipped boats or upgrade six 1200 boats to 1 , 500 - tons AIP - equipped boats , although the more ambitious plan to acquire nine 1 , 800 - ton Type 214 AIP submarines was preserved and put under progress , which will reportedly be wrapped up in 2018 when all submarines of the type are scheduled to be commissioned . Outfitting the submarines with Sub - Harpoon launching capability was a part of the upgrade , and this seems to have been properly carried out by 2002 on at least one submarine . By 2007 , Na Daeyong and Lee Eokgi were demonstrated to have the capability . In the 2008 RIMPAC the submarine Lee Sunshin also demonstrated its sub - harpoon capability . By 2009 it was reported that nine South Korean - modified 1 , 400 - ton Type 209 submarines were in service with the ROKN . As of 2011 they were reported to be 1 , 200 - ton Type 209 submarines . They can equip the White Shark heavy torpedo , and can possibly equip submarine - launched Hae Sung anti - ship missiles later on . LIG Nex1 began producing TACM for unspecified submarine types of the ROKN as well , which finished development in 2000 . AIP and flank - array sonars are planned for future modernizations . The Chang Bogo class offered to Indonesia will already be in stretched and augmented forms including guided missile - launching capabilities and a surface displacement of 1400 tons , quite similar to the original plan to upgrade the existing Chang Bogo class submarines of ROKN to similar specifications . A science documentary by EBS has revealed that " Chang Bogo " - class submarines undergo major generational overhaul and refit every eight to twelve years . The overhaul and refit involves periodic cutting , complete disassembly , and rewelding of the hull for the upgrade or total replacement of the submarine ' s old engines , navigational equipment , batteries , and other essential equipment with their modern counterparts . Hull stretch may also have taken place in some of the " Chang Bogo " - class vessels since the early 2000s , but it has neither been completely confirmed nor denied . Some " Chang Bogo " - class vessels are demonstrated to have sub - Harpoon launching capability when previously the class was lacking it . ROKN is committed to build and maintain a submarine force of 26 attack submarines until 2025 , excluding small and midget submarines , though it is not clear how many submarines among those will belong to the Chang Bogo class . The oldest commissioned Chang Bogo class submarine by then will be 32 years old . Lithium - ion battery power stacks are being developed to increase the underwater endurance of " Chang Bogo " - class submarines by two to three times , offering four to five times the power density of Type 209 ' s current lead - acid batteries and as much as twice the power density of Type 214 ' s BZM 120 fuel cells . Sales . In December 2011 , Daewoo won a contract to build Indonesia three 1 , 400 - ton " Chang Bogo " - class submarines for $ 1 . 07 billion . Construction of the submarines will start in January 2012 for delivery by 2015 and 2016 , for commissioning in the first half of 2018 . They ' ll be equipped with torpedoes and guided missiles . The submarines are described to be Korea ' s original model , bigger and more advanced than Indonesia ' s refurbished Type 209 / 1300 . Initially the offered submarines were going to be in - service ROKN submarines . The sale will be done without the involvement of German companies . South Korea is currently the only country outside of Germany independently offering the Type 209 for sale . Indonesia was also offered two license built Type 209 submarines manufactured by a group of Turkish ( SSM - Undersecretariat for Defense Industries ) and German companies ( HDW / ThyssenKrupp ) , a deal reported to be valued at $ 1 billion . SSM was also offering the leases of Type 209 submarines until new submarines could be completed . The offer has since been superseded by the DSME submarine contract . In early 2012 , the Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 exhibited its latest suite of indigenously developed submarine sensors , submarine combat systems , and heavy - weight torpedoes and wire - guided torpedoes in Indonesia for potential use by the Indonesian navy ' s submarine forces .