(navalnews.com)
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has formally entered the global submarine arena, taking a decisive step toward its first submarine export through a landmark partnership with the Republic of Peru.
HD HHI press release
On Friday, December 19, HD HHI signed a Joint Development Agreement for a Next-Generation Submarine with the Peruvian Navy and Peru’s state-owned shipbuilder, SIMA (Servicios Industriales de la Marina), at SIMA’s facilities in Lima.
The signing ceremony was attended by H.E. José Jerí, President of the Republic of Peru, Park Yong-yeol, Head of Naval Ship Business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Admiral Javier Bravo de Rueda Delgado, Commander of the Peruvian Navy, and Luis Richard Silva López, President of SIMA, underscoring the program’s strategic importance at the national and naval levels.
This agreement is a direct follow-on to the Letter of Intent on Joint Development and Joint Construction of Submarines signed during the APEC Summit in Gyeongju last November. The contract initiates the basic design phase, scheduled to begin in January 2026 and continue for 11 months, laying the technical and operational foundation for Peru’s future undersea combat capability.
Peru’s next-generation submarine program is a flagship project within the country’s broader naval modernization and maritime sovereignty strategy. Through this agreement, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries joins the program as a strategic partner, contributing advanced submarine design expertise and proven naval engineering capabilities.
The joint development effort will deliver a “Peru-class Next-Generation Submarine,” purpose-built to meet the Peruvian Navy’s operational requirements and mission profiles. The platform will be optimized for long-range patrols, deep-sea operations, and sustained undersea presence across Peru’s extensive Pacific maritime domain.
Operating in waters defined by vast oceanic distances, complex seabed geography, and depths exceeding 3,000 meters, the Peruvian Navy requires a submarine capable of endurance, stealth, and decisive undersea combat performance. HD HHI will apply a Peru-optimized design, integrating advanced sensors, combat systems, weapons, and secure communications to ensure operational superiority in the Pacific theater.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries views the Peru submarine program as a strategic catalyst for the global expansion of K-Submarine exports. Unlike traditional off-the-shelf acquisitions, this program represents an advanced co-development model, in which a customer-specific submarine is jointly designed, engineered, and ultimately constructed to deliver mission dominance rather than baseline capability.
“This agreement represents a decisive milestone for Korea’s submarine industry. By fully leveraging our accumulated technologies and operational know-how, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will deliver a next-generation submarine that enhances the Peruvian Navy’s undersea warfare capability, maritime deterrence, and strategic autonomy.”
Joo Won-ho, President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Head of the Naval & Special Ship Business
In April last year, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries further strengthened defense cooperation with Peru by exporting four surface combatants across three vessel classes, establishing a trusted partnership that now extends decisively into the undersea domain.