Korean Hanwha Offers Hydrogen Fuel-cell Powered Submarine for Polish Submarine Contract

South Korean Hanwha is pitted against leading shipbuilders from France and Germany in the Polish submarine procurement contract offering its most advanced submarine, the Jangbogo - Ⅲ (KSS-III) to the Polish Navy.

Hanwha is proposing an integrated security solution based on the trust and technology it has secured by supplying K9 self-propelled howitzers and Choonmu multiple rocket launchers to Poland, and is also planning to contribute to the security alliance between the two countries, a Hanwha statement said.

Hanwha Group's three defense companies, Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean launched the submarine campaign at the start of the MSPO exhibition in Kielce, Poland.

The 3,000-ton class 'Jangbogo - Ⅲ' is equipped with a torpedo launcher that can load heavy torpedoes, anti-ship and cruise missiles, and a vertical launcher that can launch ballistic missiles (SLBM). The submarine features an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system based on hydrogen fuel cells which allows it to stay submerged for three weeks. Hanwha Ocean is also reviewing ' MRO localization' to gradually transfer submarine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) technologies to Polish companies.

While French Naval Group and German TKMS, which have jumped into the Polish submarine bid , are emphasizing full-scale support at the government level, Hanwha has entered into a fierce competition, emphasizing its technological advantages in 30 years of submarine combat operation, maintenance and management.

Jeong Seung-gyun, head of Hanwha Ocean’s Specialized Vessel Overseas Business Unit, emphasized, “Jangbogo - Ⅲ is optimized for the Polish security environment with its proven technology and outstanding performance,” and “It will also have economic effects through strengthened security through the modernization of the Polish Navy and localized technology transfer.”