Germany is the one who taught the "student" (South Korea) to starve the "master" (Germany).

According to foreign media reports, South Korea, which learned submarine technology in Germany 20 years ago, is now competing with German shipyards.

Recently, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries joined as a team in the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), where South Korean companies and German TKMS were shortlisted for the final round. This has once again drawn attention to South Korea's maritime defense industry capabilities.

The CPSP will replace four Victoria-class submarines that the Canadian Navy plans to retire in the mid-2030s. The key is to introduce up to 12 new diesel and battery-powered submarines. The contract alone is worth about 20 trillion won, and if maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) costs are included, the total scale reaches 60 trillion won. European shipyards such as TKMS, France's Naval Group, and Spain's Navantia participated in the bidding, but only South Korean and German companies made it to the final candidates.

South Korea was a country that could not build submarines on its own. In 1991, South Korea introduced three "Jang Bogo I"-class submarines from Germany's TKMS, marking its first acquisition of submarines. The first ship was built in Germany, and later, the second and third were built in South Korea based on German designs. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean) learned assembly techniques by accepting training for employees as a condition for purchasing submarines. According to Jeong Hang-woo, who was sent to Germany at that time and is currently the Chief Production Officer of Hanwha Ocean, "TKMS in Germany would not have taught the technology as they do now." South Korea has now become a submarine exporting country.

In 2011, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering exported three German 209-type Jang Bogo I-class submarines to Indonesia, taking its first step as a submarine exporting country. Later, in 2019, it secured an order for three more of the same model, totaling six submarines exported, valued at approximately 2 billion US dollars.

Finally, in 2021, the 3,000-ton class Jang Bogo III-class submarine "Dosan Ahn Chang-ho," built entirely from design to construction in South Korea, was commissioned. The Jang Bogo III-class submarine batch 2 proposed to Canada is equipped with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, capable of operating underwater for over 21 days, with a maximum range of 7,000 nautical miles (about 12,900 kilometers), possessing the long-term operational capability required by the Canadian Navy in the Arctic Ocean.

Compared to existing submarines, lithium-ion battery technology is evaluated to greatly improve energy efficiency and operational sustainability. A representative from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated, "Based on our experience in designing and building 214-class submarines with non-atmospheric propulsion systems (AIP), we hope to enhance the technical maturity of the project through providing technical consulting and cooperation with core engine systems."

South Korea's defense industry believes that the experience of being shortlisted in the Canadian Navy's tender will have a positive impact on entering countries considering the introduction of submarines, such as Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These countries are pushing for modernization of their forces and strengthening their maritime defense capabilities. As South Korea's submarine technology and production capacity receive increasing attention, trust in South Korean vessels among NATO member states is gradually expanding.

Choi Woo-sik, president of the Korea Defense Industry Association, said, "South Korea, which imparted technology 30 years ago, is now on par with Germany in the global market."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842246404934720/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.