Daewoo Shipbuilding Wins Order for Latest Submarine Worth 985.7 Billion KRW

$7.2 Billion Orders This Year... Approximately 93.5% of Target Achieved

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has once again proven itself as a leading shipbuilder with the highest submarine technology in Korea by signing a contract to build the Republic of Korea Navy's latest 3,000-ton class submarine.

On the 10th, DSME announced that it had signed a construction contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the second vessel of the 3,000-ton class Jangbogo-III Batch-II project, valued at 985.7 billion KRW. This submarine will be built at the Okpo Shipyard and is scheduled to be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy by the end of 2028.

Including this contract, DSME has achieved the remarkable feat of securing orders for 4 out of the 5 submarines ordered so far in the 3,000-ton class. In August, the lead ship of the first phase, Dosan Ahn Changho, was successfully delivered, and the lead ship of the second phase has entered full-scale construction, starting with steel cutting.

The Jangbogo-III project is a program to independently build the Navy’s core force of the latest 3,000-ton class submarines to effectively respond to various security threats. The second phase has improved underwater endurance, target detection, and armament capabilities compared to the first phase. Notably, lithium-ion batteries were applied for the first time instead of lead-acid batteries to extend the core performance of submerged endurance.

Lithium-ion batteries serve as a large-capacity energy storage system that powers the submarine’s mobility and main equipment. Compared to conventional lead-acid batteries, they significantly enhance underwater endurance and high-speed maneuvering time, double the lifespan, and offer advantages in maintenance convenience, which is expected to greatly improve the submarine’s combat capabilities.

Since securing the first vessel of the Jangbogo-I project, the Jangbogo submarine, in 1987, DSME has won orders for the largest number of submarines in Korea, totaling 22 vessels (9 of the 209 class, 3 of the 214 class, 4 of the 3,000-ton class, and 6 export submarines). Among these, 16 have been successfully delivered, and 6 are under construction. Notably, DSME is the only domestic company with a record of overseas submarine orders.

Yoo Soo-jun, Executive Vice President and Head of DSME’s Special Ship Business Division, stated, "We will contribute to protecting the maritime sovereignty of the Republic of Korea Navy by thoroughly preparing not only for the successful delivery of the second vessel of the Jangbogo-III Batch-II project we just secured but also for the surface ship construction projects scheduled for order this year and the basic design project for the Korean-style light aircraft carrier planned for next year."

DSME has achieved about 93.5% (7.2 billion USD) of its annual order target of 7.7 billion USD. The ordered vessels include 16 container ships, 11 ultra-large crude oil carriers, 9 ultra-large LPG carriers, 2 LNG carriers, 1 WTIV, 1 submarine, and 2 offshore plants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.