HD Hyundai Achieves First Overseas Naval Co-Build With Peruvian Landing Ship

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries launched a new landing support vessel in Peru, marking its first co-construction of a naval ship overseas. The Chimbote is the first of the new landing support ships delivered to the navy of Peru at the SIMA Shipyard.

The ceremony was attended by Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, Peruvian Navy Commander Federico Javier Bravo de Rueda, South Korean Ambassador to Peru Choi Jong-wook and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries President Joo Won-ho

The Chimbote is the first of the four vessels, including frigates and offshore support ships, that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is building for the Peruvian Navy.

The company won the contract for Chimbote from the Peruvian Navy in 2024. The second ship, called the Talara, was completed earlier this month.

Both multipurpose landing vessels will carry out an array of missions, including personnel and cargo transport, disaster relief, logistics support, etc, and are named after port cities in Peru.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries designed the vessel and provided technical support while SIMA shipyard handled production, assembly, outfitting and trials at its local facilities.

The project was all about “local co-production through technical cooperation”, and according to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, government support and public-private cooperation played a major role in the timely delivery of the vessel.

The Ministry of National Defence and the Defence Acquisition Program Administration cooperated with the Peruvian government to support HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ vessel exports.

The South Korean Embassy in Peru and KOTRA also offered their support to the project by drawing on communication with the Peruvian government and local agencies.

“We are not simply building a ship, but building capabilities for the future,” Fujimori said, adding that the project also created jobs and expanded the supply chains related to the shipping sector.

President Joo said that the launch of Chimbote was made possible by the public and private sectors coming together. He added that Peru would strengthen the competitiveness of Korean-built ships and diversify the export market.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is also building a 1500-ton next-gen submarine for the Peruvian Navy.