HD Hyundai, Peru's 'Chimbote' Ship Launched

*This content was translated by AI.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has successfully achieved its first joint construction of a warship overseas.

Recently, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries held the launch ceremony for the Chimbote, the lead ship of the new amphibious support vessel series for the Peruvian Navy, at the SIMA shipyard in Peru.

The ceremony was presided over by Keiko Fujimori, President of Peru, and attended by Peru's Minister of Defense, Federico Javier, Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Navy, Choi Jong-wook, South Korea's Ambassador to Peru, and Ju Won-ho, President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The Chimbote is the first of two new amphibious support vessels jointly constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and SIMA. In April 2024, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries secured orders from the Peruvian Navy for a total of four warships, including a frigate, an offshore patrol vessel, and two amphibious support vessels, and immediately began simultaneous construction of the two amphibious support ships. As of early this month, the second ship, the Talara, has also completed all land-based construction processes.

Both the Chimbote and the Talara are multi-purpose amphibious support vessels scheduled to perform various missions, including personnel and cargo transport, military logistics support, and disaster response. Both ships were named after major port cities in Peru.

This HD Hyundai Heavy Industries warship export project to Peru is being evaluated as presenting a new export model for K-warships. It marks a shift from the traditional model of "domestic construction followed by delivery of finished products" to a system of "local joint production through technical cooperation," effectively transforming the warship business into an engineering venture.

This project was carried out with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries providing design and technical support, while SIMA utilized its local production facilities for block manufacturing, assembly, outfitting, testing, and sea trials.

Keiko Fujimori, President of Peru, stated, "We are not simply building one warship; we are building capabilities for the future."

Ju Won-ho, President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "The launch of the Chimbote is a team Korea achievement made possible through collaboration between the public and private sectors," adding, "We will enhance the competitiveness of K-warships and diversify export markets."

In a phone conversation with this newspaper, an HD Hyundai representative stated, "HD is not only working on surface ships but also conducting basic design for Peru Navy's 1,500-ton next-generation submarine. We are maintaining close cooperation with the Peruvian government to commence construction of the lead ship immediately upon completion of the design."

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*This content was translated by AI.