Thai Frigate, Spanish K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer Contracts

Thailand has been pursuing the introduction of new frigates, shifting its naval strategy towards surface combatants due to existing issues with the introduction of Chinese submarines.

In this project, Hanwha Ocean proposed and was selected for the 'Ocean 40F' frigate, with the initial project size estimated at approximately 680 billion won. If the introduction expands to eight vessels in the future, the total project size is expected to reach 3 to 4 trillion won, anticipating significant economic ripple effects.

The total scale of this project is approximately 7.2 billion Euros, equivalent to about 12.5 trillion won, making it a large-scale project.

The quantity included in this MOU is 128 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 120 ammunition resupply vehicles, which is expected to significantly contribute to the enhancement of the Spanish Army's power.

Spain is demanding that the American-made Allison transmission used in the K9 self-propelled howitzer be replaced with a transmission manufactured by the Spanish heavy machinery company SAPA. Transmission replacement goes beyond a simple component change and poses significant technical challenges.

Transmission redesign requires comprehensive modifications to the entire K9 self-propelled howitzer system, including software, cooling systems, and internal space. Furthermore, concerns about the reliability of SAPA transmissions have been raised even in Spain, indicating high technical risk.

If the transmission, a core component of the K9 self-propelled howitzer, is replaced, thorough verification of whether key performance factors, including mean time between failures (MTBF) data for the new component, are met is essential. The additional development costs required for transmission redesign and testing are to be borne by the Spanish government as a principle.

Furthermore, it is important to clarify accountability for issues that may arise during the process of changing a previously verified system. This is pointed out as a crucial aspect that must be resolved to prevent future disputes and ensure stable project progress.

The decisive factor in Hanwha Ocean's victory in the Thai frigate project was 'reference,' specifically previous successful performance. The performance of the frigate 'HTMS Phumiphon Adunyadet' delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean) to the Royal Thai Navy in 2018 played a significant role.

'HTMS Phumiphon Adunyadet' proved its performance and reliability during actual operations in the Cambodia border dispute, which significantly influenced the Royal Thai Navy's shift in strategy from submarine-centric to surface combatant-centric. As a result, the Royal Thai Navy is believed to have developed high trust in Korean-made frigates.

In the past, the engine failure issue of 'HTMS Phumiphon Adunyadet' became controversial due to aggressive reporting from pro-Chinese media in Thailand. However, investigations revealed that the engine failure was due to a product issue from German company MTU, unrelated to the ship manufacturer.

The Thai Deputy Minister of Defense officially announced this issue, clarifying that the failure was not related to the manufacturer. Consequently, it was decided that all engines would be replaced, with the responsibility falling on the engine manufacturer, German MTU, thus bringing the controversy to a close.

This incident served to resolve unnecessary doubts about Korean defense technology and reconfirm the reliability of the products.

This case demonstrates that Korean defense products can face undue attacks in overseas markets, implying the importance of dispelling misunderstandings through accurate facts.