South Korea launched its fifth 1,800-ton-class attack submarine on Thursday as part of efforts to boost its underwater warfare capabilities against North Korean submarines, the Navy said.The 214-class submarine, named after famous independence fighter Yun Bong-gil (1908-1932) and manufactured by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., will be delivered to the Navy in late 2015 and commissioned the next year, a Navy officer said.The ship is armed with indigenous ship-to-ship cruise missiles named Haeseong, or Sea Star, torpedoes and mines for anti-submarine warfare. The cruise missiles with a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers are capable of carrying out precision strikes against enemies' key facilities, he noted.The sub's maximum underwater speed is 20 knots, which enables it to ply between South Korea and Hawaii without refueling.
