Hanwha Ocean Forms 'Submarine Alliance' with Leading Polish Defense Group

WB Group Signs MOU on Submarine MRO

Orca Operations Enhanced with Localized Solutions

Are you familiar with the "submarine alliance"?

Hanwha Ocean has laid the groundwork for establishing a submarine alliance between South Korea and Poland by partnering with one of Poland's leading defense companies.

Hanwha Ocean attended "MSPO 2024," the largest defense exhibition in Eastern Europe, held in Kielce, Poland, starting on the 3rd. During the event, Hanwha Ocean signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Polish defense group WB Group to cooperate in the submarine business.

Adam Bartosiewicz, Vice Chairman of WB Group, Poland's leading defense industry group (right), and Seungkyun Jung, Vice President and Head of Special Ship Overseas Business Division at Hanwha Ocean, are signing an MOU for submarine business cooperation at MSPO 2024.

The purpose of this MOU is to strengthen cooperation between the two companies in order to win the contract for the ORKA submarine construction project, which is part of the Polish government's naval modernization initiative. Through this partnership, Hanwha Ocean and WB Group aim to develop an independent MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) package and achieve successful project localization. Furthermore, the project aims to expand comprehensive cooperation in the naval sector.

More than 20 key stakeholders attended the event, including representatives from both companies, officials from the Polish government, and major domestic and international partners involved in the Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine project. Jung Seunggyun, Executive Vice President and Head of Special Ship Overseas Business Division at Hanwha Ocean, and Adam Bartosiewicz, Vice Chairman of WB Group, signed the MOU and pledged to push forward with the alliance project.

Alongside the MOU signing ceremony, Hanwha Ocean drew attention by presenting a variety of details about the ORKA project, including step-by-step localization strategies through the submarine MRO package, to key stakeholders in attendance. In addition, Kolon Spaceworks, a domestic equipment supplier, presented its composite material localization plans at the event.

Hanwha Ocean has raised the localization rate of the Jangbogo-III submarine to over 80% through continuous efforts toward technological independence. The company has also accumulated extensive experience in overseas naval vessel maintenance. Based on this experience and know-how, Hanwha Ocean is determined to successfully carry out the Polish submarine construction project.

Andrzej Duda, President of Poland (second from the right), is attending 'MSPO2024' held in Kielce, Poland, and is touring the Hanwha exhibition hall. He is receiving explanations about Hanwha Ocean's submarine technology competitiveness and customized MRO solutions specialized for Poland from Seungkyun Jung, Vice President and Head of Hanwha Ocean Special Ship Overseas Business Division (second from the left), and Jaeil Son, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace (first from the right).

Hanwha Ocean has also been thoroughly preparing to provide customized local MRO solutions. In May this year, the company hosted an Industry Day in Gdansk, Poland, to promote exchanges between companies from both countries in the submarine equipment and parts business and to specify cooperation for technology transfer. In June, Hanwha Ocean, PGZ, and the UK’s Babcock jointly submitted an MRO plan to the Polish Armaments Agency.

Jung Seunggyun, Executive Vice President and Head of Special Ship Overseas Business Division at Hanwha Ocean, said, “This cooperation with WB Group is part of our efforts to solidify partnerships with local companies,” and added, “We expect that, through this opportunity, WB Group will become a strong ally for Hanwha Ocean’s success in the ORKA project.”

On the opening day of "MSPO 2024" in Kielce, Poland, on the 3rd, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the Hanwha exhibition booth, where he received a briefing on the Jangbogo-III submarine from Hanwha Ocean officials and showed great interest.

WB Group, established in 1997, is one of the largest private defense companies in Europe, producing a wide range of products including military communication equipment, command, reconnaissance, and weapon control systems. By manufacturing the FlyEye UAV system and more, the company has contributed to the modernization of Poland’s defense capabilities and is recognized for its high standing within NATO, supplying air defense systems to NATO member countries.