ThyssenKrupp, On 26th December 2007 the Republic of Korea Navy took over command of the first of three Class 214 submarines, equipped with outer-air-independent fuel cell propulsion systems.
The design and major components of the submarine were provided by the Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), a company within ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
The Class 214 submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy are being built under licence from HDW at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. Co. shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea). The submarine, named “SON WON IL”, will reinforce the submarine flotilla of the Republic of Korea Navy, which consisted until now of nine units of the Class 209.
The new submarine has a displacement of approximately 1,700 tons, is 65 metres long and operated by a regular crew of 27 men. It has a combined diesel electric and fuel cell propulsion system. Equipped with ultra-modern sensors and an integrated Command and Weapon Control System, it is optimally suited to its future reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. After Germany and Italiy the Republic of Korea is the third country operating submarines with the revolutionary fuel cell propulsion system within its navy.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, located in Hamburg / Germany is part of ThyssenKrupp group’s ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG. Since the merger in 2005, eight European shipyards – Blohm +Voss, Blohm + Voss Repair, HDW-Gaarden, Hellenic Shipyards, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), Kockums, Nobiskrug and Nordseewerke – as well as several marine technologies companies are combined in one company.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is one of the leading systems provider in European shipbuilding with about 8,700 employees, a wide portfolio, great technological competence and continuous innovations in shipbuilding.
HDW is the competence centre for the development and the building of submarines within the network. The company is world market leader in building non-nuclear submarines.
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