Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan (L) briefs Polish President Andrzej Duda on the group’s defense products at the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition, or MSPO, in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the group.
KIELCE, Sept. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Hanwha Group hopes to strengthen its presence in the Polish defense market by competing in the Eastern European country’s submarine acquisition project, a senior executive at the group’s defense unit has said.
Lee Boo-hwan, head of Hanwha Aerospace Co.’s European unit, made the remarks Wednesday in a group interview as the company has become a major arms supplier for Poland after signing deals last year to supply hundreds of K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Warsaw.
On the back of that success, the group’s shipbuilding unit, Hanwha Ocean, is seeking to participate in Poland’s “Orka” project, which aims to acquire three to four 3,000-ton submarines and is estimated to be worth over 3 trillion won (US$2.25 billion).
Lee voiced his hope of taking part in the project, citing the relationship that the broader group has built through last year’s deals.
“As we have built trustworthy ties since last year, (we) believe that it will be easier for Hanwha Ocean to approach the (Polish Navy),” he said.
A total of 11 companies have submitted preliminary bids for the project, with Hanwha proposing the KSS-III Batch-II submarine, Lee said during the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition, or MSPO 2023, in Kielce, Poland.
“In terms of technology, Poland has made a lot of requirements, but I think the South Korean solution meets all of those,” Lee said.
“The main requirement is the ability to offer maintenance capabilities, and we can sufficiently provide that,” he said. “We have already made exports to Indonesia and have built maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities there.”
He also noted the advanced technologies incorporated in the KSS-III Batch-II, such as its fuel-cell-based air-independent propulsion, allowing for quieter operation.
Lee Boo-hwan, head of Hanwha Aerospace Co.’s European unit, speaks to reporters during the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition, or MSPO 2023, in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 6, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Defense Industry Association.
The KSS-III Batch-II, which is planned to be equipped with 10 vertical launching system cells, has yet to enter service in South Korea. The Navy currently operates KSS-III Batch-I submarines, which have six such cells.
“Poland thinks of South Korea as a good candidate, and as South Korean shipyards are very competitive, (we) expect that there will be an opportunity to enter the submarine project,” Cho Hyun-ki, deputy minister for current capabilities program at South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said in a separate interview.
Hanwha has made a groupwide push to secure the project, with the group’s Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan explaining details of the KSS-III Batch-II submarine to Polish President Andrzej Duda, when he visited the company’s booth at the exhibition Tuesday.
The move comes as Poland has heavily invested in the modernization of its military since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine early last year.
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. also signed a deal last year to supply Poland with 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft through 2028.
(Yonhap-Joint Press Corps)
