Seoul, Sept 17: Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's largest shipbuilder, today opened a plant to make submarines, with a first contract to supply three vessels to the South Korean navy. The fully automated plant covering 165,000 square feet will design and assemble the newest submarine models ordered by the Ministry of Defence, a Hyundai statement said.
Hyundai becomes the second South Korean company to make submarines after Daewoo, which has made 1,200-tonne diesel-powered submarines for the navy.
A Hyundai spokesman, who did not want to be identified, said the factory plans to deliver three 1,800-tonne submarines to the navy by 2009. Bureau Report