DSME Researches Submarines and Warships

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has opened a research and development center to conduct studies for submarines and warships. The center has about 50 researchers and that number will increase by 25 by 2015. The company plans to build the world's biggest towing tank as part of the center, reports local media Yonhap.
 
DSME obtained its first orders for submarines from the Indonesian government in 2011. Since then, it has won additional orders from the South Korean Navy, Britain and Norway.

Last year DSME won an order for a frigate from the Thailand Navy that was the biggest defense contract ever awarded by the Thai Navy with a contract value of approximately US$470 million. The contract was the second defense order awarded to DSME that year following a combat support ship ordered by the Norwegian Navy.
 
A Thai frigate is a surface combat ship able to attack and defend against submarines, aircrafts, and battleships. The frigate will be 122.5m long, 14.4m wide with 3,700 full load displacement and is scheduled to be delivered to the Thai Navy in August 2018.
 
During the bidding stage of this contract, DSME beat 13 world famous warship contractors. DSME also succeeded in its goal of further diversifying its portfolio by exporting battleships. Starting with the submarine contract for the Indonesian Navy in 2012, DSME won a defense contract from the U.K. for four combat support ships, followed by one warship for the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization.
 
Last year DSME launched a 214 class submarine ordered by the Korean Navy. It was the fourth 1,800 ton 214 submarine of its kind in operation and was named after Korea’s well-known independence fighter General Kim Jwa-jin (1889-1930), who led the Cheongsan-ri battle during the Japanese colonization which is widely regarded as the most successful battle in Korean history.