HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is making strides in the surface ship sector by developing and securing orders of export-standard ships and is now actively moving into the development of export-type submarines. The company has agreed to jointly pursue the development of submarines designed for overseas export with Babcock, a leading global defense company from the United Kingdoms. Key representatives from both companies, including Joo Won-ho, the Special Ship Business Representative for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Neal Misell, the Chief Executive of Babcock Mission Systems, recently met at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. They discussed the development direction of the export-type submarine project and mutual cooperation in the mission systems sector. The export-type submarine, which is under 3,000 tons and began development last year by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, is expected to be equipped with Babcock’s proven Weapon Handling and Launch System (WHLS).
Neal Misell, the Chief Executive of Babcock Mission Systems, said:“Through this consultation, we will build a long-term cooperative relationship between Babcock and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and combine our extensive experiences in the submarine export business. Furthermore, I am pleased that we discussed ways to utilize our complementary capabilities in the global market and to establish a long-term relationship.”
Joo Won-ho, the Special Ship Business Representative of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said:“It is significant that both companies, which possess the world’s best technology in shipbuilding and defense industries, have agreed to cooperate more closely. Based on our track record of naval ship exports and our submarine development and construction technology, we will equip ourselves with a differentiated competitive edge in submarine exports.”
Through this, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to secure a technological edge in the future global submarine market by offering an advanced submarine platform. Meanwhile, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has gained international attention for being the first in the world to successfully build a Type 214 submarine (1,800-ton) equipped with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, achieved through technology transfer. Following this achievement, the company possesses technology for the basic design and construction of submarines of various sizes, including those of the 3,000-ton class. Additionally, by developing standard models for export-type frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured orders for a variety of naval ships, including frigates, patrol vessels, and OPVs, from the Philippines, thereby establishing unparalleled competitiveness in the naval surface ship export market.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (Eichidi Hyeondae Junggongeop) is the world’s largest shipbuilding company and a major heavy equipment manufacturer. Its headquarters are in Ulsan, South Korea. HHI has four core business divisions: Shipbuilding, Offshore & Engineering, Industrial Plant & Engineering, and Engine & Machinery. HHI also has five non-core related subsidiaries: Hyundai Electric & Energy Systems, Hyundai Construction Equipment, Hyundai Robotics, Hyundai Heavy Industries Green Energy, and Hyundai Global Service. The Hyundai Group started as a small South Korean construction firm in 1947, headed by its founder, Korean entrepreneur Chung Ju-yung. Another widely known and closely related Korean company, the Hyundai Motor Company, was founded in 1967, five years prior to the founding of the Heavy Industry Group. The motor company was also founded by Chung. The company has a partnership with Capital Product Partners to create four specialized ships with equipment for ocean-based carbon capture and storage to be delivered in 2025 and 2026 and at a cost of $300 million.
