Press Releases
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Expands Submarine Program and Strategic Cooperation in Latin America
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Expands Submarine Program and Strategic Cooperation in Latin America
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) is accelerating its entry into the Latin American submarine market with its independently developed submarine platform.
From June 24 to 27, HD HHI participated in SITDEF 2025, Latin America’s largest defense exhibition, held in Lima, Peru. In collaboration with LIG Nex1, the company operated a 220-square-meter exhibition booth showcasing both the next-generation frigate ordered by the Peruvian Navy in April 2024 and the next-generation submarine currently under joint development with the Peruvian government.
As part of the exhibition, HD HHI held a promotional seminar for its export-oriented submarine, the HDS-1500, attended by key defense officials including the Peruvian Minister of Defense, Chief of Naval Staff, and representatives from the Korean Navy and Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The seminar featured presentations on advanced onboard systems, with participation from LIG Nex1.
On June 24, HD HHI signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Peru’s state-owned shipbuilder SIMA, marking a follow-up to the MOU signed during APEC 2024. The MOA outlines the joint development of a customized 1,500-ton-class submarine based on HD HHI’s proprietary HDS-1500 design, aimed at replacing Peru’s aging submarine fleet and enhancing its maritime defense capabilities.
In a further move to strengthen long-term cooperation, HD HHI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 25 with the National University of Engineering (UNI) in Lima. The agreement supports education, training, and joint research in the shipbuilding and naval defense sectors, including human capital development in advanced technologies.
That same day, HD HHI’s HDS-1500 submarine received Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV, a leading global classification society, for its design. This follows the 2023 AiP for the 2,300-ton HDS-2300, solidifying HD HHI’s expanding K-submarine export portfolio.
Joo Won-ho, Head of the Special Ship Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, commented:
“We are deepening our collaboration with the Peruvian Navy from surface vessels to submarines, and are fully prepared to use Peru as a strategic hub for expanding into the Latin American market.”
