Dropped lawsuit could mean South Korean companies cooperate on future warship building bids
HMAS Arunta, an Anzac-class frigate after its Mid-Life Capability Assessment in 2018. (Photo: BAE Systems)
Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries could begin cooperating early in 2025 after both companies failed in their bids for Australia’s replacement fleet for its Anzac-class frigates.
Hanwha Ocean has withdrawn a legal complaint against HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in which it claimed Hyundai had been involved in the leaking of Hanwha warship design data.
The dropping of the suit has been widely read, as reported by the Korea Economic Daily on 24 November 2024, as the beginning of a cooperative effort between the two South Korean companies to win future warship and submarine building work. The development has followed on from both companies proving to be unsuccessful in bidding to build Australia’s replacement fleet for its Anzac-class frigates.
The suit itself arose during fierce competition to be involved in
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