"Can this submarine really be exported to us?"
Mohammad Al-Gharibi, Saudi Arabia's navy chief of staff, asked Director General Jeong Seung-gyun of Hanwha Ocean's Special Ship Overseas Business Division (former navy submarine force commander) at the 2025 International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX, hereafter Madex) held in May at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO) in Busan. Director General Jeong replied, "Of course. It's definitely possible."
At the launching ceremony for the 3,600-ton (t) Jang Young-sil, a Jang Bogo-III Batch-II class submarine, held on the 22nd at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Egypt were mentioned as negotiating countries, drawing attention to the export potential. Hanwha Ocean held the launching ceremony for Jang Young-sil that day and released a promotional video containing its specifications and the countries engaged in export talks. The video marked on a world map the countries where submarine export discussions are underway.
Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Egypt were marked on the map, and multiple Arab media outlets reported that they are "considering introducing Korean-made weapons." A defense industry official said, "Defense deals place a premium on security, and the fact that the three Arab countries were labeled indicates that conversations are underway to some extent," adding, "It suggests that prior consultations or negotiations may be progressing in line with plans to modernize naval power."
Saudi Arabia is seeking to strengthen its naval power to respond to the unstable security situation in the Middle East, Iran's bolstering of its submarine forces, and the threat of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia is said to be pursuing the purchase of four submarines as it moves to secure strike capabilities that can carry out a surprise attack on Iran's key facilities.
Saudi Arabia previously sought to purchase German submarines, but the plan fell through. In 2014, Saudi Arabia pursued a contract to introduce submarines from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) of Germany, but it was scrapped due to the German government's refusal to grant export approval.
Because of this experience, Saudi Arabia is looking for a partner that can assuredly export without political conditions. Hanwha exported the Cheongung-II multifunction radar, Cheonmu multiple launch rocket system, and some guided missiles to Saudi Arabia. It also explored exports of the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Redback armored vehicle, raising Hanwha's profile in Saudi Arabia.
The Moroccan government is reportedly pursuing the purchase of two submarines. It is also considering building a related naval base. The Royal Moroccan Navy had built its capabilities around surface ships. But with Algeria, which borders Morocco to the east, known to operate six Russian-made submarines, Morocco now needs submarines to counter them.
If Morocco introduces submarines, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Canary Islands will become key operating areas. Because the Strait of Gibraltar is an important route connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, submarines could also effectively respond to illegal fishing, piracy, and weapons smuggling. Hanwha Ocean is said to be regarded locally as superior to competitors in terms of price competitiveness and speedy delivery.
The Egyptian Navy is also reportedly pushing to introduce four new submarines to modernize its aging fleet. Competition is intense as established players such as Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and France's Naval Group are already in the market.
Jang Young-sil is a world-class diesel submarine incorporating domestically developed design and construction technologies. At about 89 meters in length, it is equipped with enhanced combat and sonar systems to improve information processing and target detection. With lithium batteries, it has longer submergence time and sustained operational capability. Once submerged, it can remain underwater for more than three weeks and travel more than 7,000 km. It also adopts low-noise technology to reduce underwater radiated noise and mounts 10 vertical launch cells capable of carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), boosting its strike power.
Projects nearing a contractor selection are Canada's Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) and Poland's Orca Project. In addition, talks are underway on submarine programs in the Philippines, Colombia, Chile, and Greece.