May 5 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's Navy said Tuesday its 3,000-ton-class submarine Dosan Ahn Chang-ho has completed the country's first independent trans-Pacific voyage, demonstrating long-range operational capability ahead of a major Canadian defense contract bid.
The submarine arrived Saturday at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after departing from Jinhae Naval Base on March 25, marking the first time a South Korean submarine has crossed the Pacific Ocean on its own.
The deployment is part of a broader mission that includes joint naval exercises with Canada and participation in the multinational RIMPAC drills later this summer.
The submarine previously stopped at Guam in early April for maintenance and resupply before continuing its eastbound journey. The full route, extending to Canada's west coast, is expected to span about 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles), the longest operational voyage ever undertaken by a South Korean submarine.
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