During the past weekend, the governments of South Korea and Peru formalized a series of agreements and memorandums aimed at marking new milestones in their strategic partnership in the field of industrial production for defense. In addition to the signing of memorandums to include the South American country in the production of components for the new KAI KF-21 fighter, agreements related to the modernization of the Navy have also been included. One of the most important memorandums in this area took place between SIMA and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the co-development of submarines, opening multiple possibilities for the Peruvian shipbuilding industry as well as for the modernization of the naval force in the South American country.
According to an official announcement by SIMA on its official social media: “In order to continue strengthening the development of the naval industry in Peru, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the vice president of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and our General Manager, Rear Admiral César Benavides Iraola, for the co-development of Submarine Units.”
Currently, SIMA and the South Korean company have significant shipbuilding programs to re-equip the Peruvian Navy. First, the construction of a new multi-role frigate stands out, along with the addition of an oceanic patrol vessel and two logistic transport ships. Thus, it is likely that the Peruvian industry and naval authorities will aim to take the next big step with the co-development of submarine units, foreseeing the future replacement of the current Type 209 class.
In this regard, it must be mentioned that the Type 209 submarines of the Peruvian Navy are currently undergoing significant modernization work at SIMA. The first unit of the program, the BAP Chipana (SS-34), began its sea trials after the completion of the upgrade work. The program, carried out in partnership with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), also includes similar work on the rest of the Type 209/1200 class units, namely: B.A.P. Angamos (SS-31), B.A.P. Pisagua (SS-33), and B.A.P. Antofagasta (SS-32); the latter already having the hull cut, with the removal of the old engines and equipment to be replaced with new ones.
Also to be listed in the Navy’s submarine fleet are two additional Type 209/1100 units, BAP Islay (SS-35) and BAP Arica (SS-36), which are mainly used for training new crews and are nearing the end of their operational life.
With this scenario, and in light of the medium-term completion of the modernization program of the aforementioned Type 209s, the Peruvian Navy will also need to begin a lengthy evaluation process of options to gradually replace its oldest submarines in the long term. Although this project is still in the early stages of formulation and design, the proposal presented by South Korea to co-produce and co-develop submarines aims to kick-start this direction.
Currently, the Asian country is pushing its first locally developed and designed submarine, the KSS-III, for the export market. This is reflected in proposals submitted to the Polish Navy as part of the ORKA Program, with an adapted version for Polish requirements. It is likely that a similar proposal is being presented to the Peruvian government for evaluation, where the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SIMA and South Korean companies will be part of the long process toward this goal.
Adding: “Regarding the characteristics of the KSS-III, these have increased their displacement to about 3,600 tons and a length of 89 meters, allowing for the presence of additional vertical missile launch systems. For comparison, the Bach I has six VLS, while the Bach II has ten. In terms of propulsion, they are equipped with AIP systems using lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, they incorporate a high degree of automation of processes to be operated by a crew of 33 personnel, which can be expanded to 55 if necessary.”
Currently, the KSS-III Bach II is in the construction phase to equip the Republic of Korea Navy. Meanwhile, the Bach I already has two units in service, the ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho and ROKS Ahn Mu, while the third, ROKS Shin Chae-ho, has already been delivered to the force and commissioned in April of this year.
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