South Korea's new 3,000-ton-class indigenous submarine, Ahn Mu, is anchored at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. in the southeastern city of Geoje on Nov. 10, 2020, as the Navy prepared to hold a launching ceremony the same day for the mid-class diesel-powered submarine, named after a prominent Korean independence fighter. Yonhap
A Philippine defence official recently visited a South Korean submarine production facility in South Korea as the two countries sought to boost different areas of defence cooperation.
Jesus Rey Avila, assistant defence secretary for logistics and acquisition, visited submarine builder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) facility last month, the DSME said in a statement.
The DSME said it has been offering its 1,400-tonne submarine to the Philippine Navy.
The planned acquisition of submarines was already approved by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019, although there is still no funding for it.
The Navy has not yet selected the supplier for the submarines, but it has started preparing for it.
In a separate statement, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Avila also held bilateral meetings with his South Korean counterpart Seo Hyeung Jin, vice-minister of the South Korean government’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The two officials discussed possible areas of cooperation, like procurement of corvettes and submarines for the Navy, the DND said in its statement on May 31.
Seo invited Avila to visit South Korea again later this year for the 24th Joint Committee Meeting on Logistics and Defense Industry Cooperation.
South Korean defence contractors have supplied military equipment to the Philippines in recent years. Hyundai Heavy Industries built two frigates for the Philippine Navy at 16 billion pesos ($340 million). The PAF’s 12 FA-50 light fighters were previously procured from Korea Aerospace Industries for 18.9 billion pesos.
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
