South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has signed a preliminary agreement with Peru’s state-owned Shipyard Marine Industrial Services (SIMA) to jointly design and construct submarines for the Peruvian Navy.
A final contract is expected to be concluded by the end of this year, with construction planned at HD Hyundai’s Ulsan shipyard, located around 360 kilometers (225 miles) southeast of Seoul.
The agreement builds on a previous collaboration between the two firms earlier this year to co-develop a 1,500-ton submarine, part of Peru’s plan to replace its aging fleet with modern vessels based on HD Hyundai’s HDS-1500 design.
Peru’s current submarine fleet—comprising six German-built Type 209 boats—has served for more than four decades and is now slated for phased renewal.
This partnership is a key element of Peru’s naval modernization initiative, which aims to strengthen its maritime capabilities through cooperation with HD Hyundai on frigates, offshore patrol vessels, and landing support ships.
