South Korea Looking At France's Barracuda SSN or Just the K15 Reactor

In Submarine Matters’ “South Korea seeks Submarine Reactors from US and RUSSIA” of October 22, 2019 South Korea may have concluded it is better to buy an existing submarine reactor, designs or at least a ship reactor than totally reinvent a submarine reactor. 

Since 2017 (if not earlier) South Korea has been considering France’s new Barracuda SSN with its K15 (aka K 15 aka K-15) reactor. With North Korea's buildup of nuclear weapon and missile capabilities South Korea, in October 2019, has been testing any increased US willingness for South Korea to explore nuclear propulsion options. 

"In October 2017, the [South Korean] Navy commissioned the Seoul-based Korea Defense Network to conduct a five month study on the feasibility of developing an indigenous nuclear-powered attack submarine. The think tank reported in March 2018 the results to the Navy, suggesting the service build a nuclear attack submarine along the lines of the French 5,300-ton Barracuda-class sub. The French sub is fueled by low-enriched uranium."

It is conceivable that France may want to sell a complete French built Barracuda to South Korea, supply just the Barracuda’s K15 reactor or transfer technology (including a reactor design) for South Korea to incorporate in its 4,000+ tonne KSS III Batch III building program. Thus KSS III Batch III would become the nuclear propelled KSSN or KSSX-N.

The Barracuda’s K15 reactor has the:

-  political/regulatory advantage of using LEU ie. less than 20% U-235 which South Korea sees as not being restricted by the NPT or nuclear Safeguards Agreements. This is compared to the political sensitivities and anti-proliferation regulatory restrictions placed on exporting/importing US and UK submarine reactors (with weapons’ grade HEU of 93-97 percent (see p. 20)) and Russian naval reactors (reported to use 20 to over 90 percent HEU (p. 20)). 

-  and technical advantage of the Barracuda's reactor being built for a submarine of just over 5,000 tons, ie. in the KSS III Bach III weight bracket. The Barracuda's K15 reactor stands for 150 MWt which translates to 30 MWe for Barracuda’s hotel load + propulsion.

It is significant that France, for over a decade, has been assisting Brazil in designing the non-nuclear aspects of Brazil’s future SN-BR SSN (to be called Álvaro lberto). At Submarine Matter’s 2015 article see the subheading "Brazilian Nuclear Submarine (SN-BR)” “There currently appears to be expectations that SN-BR will be around 100m long and 9m wide. This coincides with France's Barracuda SSN dimensions of: 99.5m long and beam: 8.8m.” Such non-nuclear assistance could be extended to South Korea and perhaps with a more quiet transfer of some K15 technology.

In terms of vertically launched cruise or ballistic missiles the KSS Batch I features 6 VLS tubes, each with one missile. The KSS III Batch II may feature 10 and the KSS III Batch III perhaps 12 to 16. If  the KSS III Batch III were nuclear propelled and had 12 to 16 VLS tubes this would amount to a middle naval power mini-SSN/SSBN solution. This would avoid the much higher great power expense of building separate specialised SSN and SSBN classes.

Neighbouring Japan (a part strategic competitor of South Korea) and Australia with its future conventional Barracuda (known as the Attack-class) are closely observing South Korea's interest in nuclear propulsion and ever larger submarines.

India, already having SSBNs, is interested in building 6 SSNs with specialised SSN reactors. India is naturally talking to France's Naval Group. Naval Group is helping India build the 6 Kalvari-class Scorpenes, bidding for India's 6 Project-75I SSK competition and Naval Group produces all of France's SSNs and SSBNs. So India can have far ranging discussions, on many topics, with Naval Group.

Pete