Hanwha Ocean Secures First Submarine Order... Overseas Export Also a 'Cheongsinho'

Won 1 Trillion 3600-ton Class Jangbogo-III Submarine Order
Increased SLBM Launchers Challenge Canada and Poland

Hanwha Ocean has secured an order for a 3,000-ton class Jangbogo III submarine worth over 1 trillion won. This is the first submarine order since Hanwha Group acquired Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and it is expected to lead to overseas submarine exports. Countries such as Canada and Poland are seeking the performance of 3,600-ton class submarines, so once construction is completed, the technology is expected to be recognized in the overseas market.

According to military authorities on the 6th, Hanwha Ocean was selected as the preferred negotiation partner in the bid for the Jangbogo-III (Batch-II) third vessel, ordered by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration at the end of last month. Hanwha Ocean and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration are expected to finalize the main contract as early as this month after additional negotiations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Batch' refers to a group of ships constructed of the same type, and the submarines improve in performance from 'Batch-I → II → III.' The Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine ordered by Hanwha Ocean can launch 10 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). It has four more vertical launch tubes than Batch-I. The 'Jangbogo-III Batch-I first vessel' is the Dosan Ahn Changho, commissioned in August 2021, and the second vessel is the Anmu. Unlike the Jangbogo (209) class and Son Won-il (214) class, which were built using German technology, the Jangbogo-III class was entirely designed and constructed using Korean technology.

The potential for overseas exports is also high. The Canadian Navy plans to order 12 submarines with a budget of about 60 trillion won. This 60 trillion won includes maintenance costs, and the construction cost per submarine is estimated to be around 2 trillion won. The Canadian submarine project is expected to select a contractor as early as 2026. Poland plans to order three submarines, with construction costs estimated at around 4 trillion won. A Hanwha Ocean official said, “Both Canada and Poland want SLBM launch tubes, so we plan to challenge the export market based on the technology of the Jangbogo-III Batch-II.”