South Korea Develops ‘Giga-Class’ Steel for Future Warships, Uncrewed Vessels
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and steelmaker POSCO have agreed to jointly develop giga-class steel strong enough for next-generation naval vessels.
Hanwha Ocean builds submarines and destroyers for the Republic of Korea Navy and export customers, while POSCO is one of the world’s largest steel producers, supplying high-grade materials across multiple industries.
The memorandum of understanding covers cooperation in six areas, including steel production, welding methods, and ship hull applications, according to Business Korea. Research and development is expected to be completed within two to three years.
Giga-class steel is said to be four times stronger than conventional ship steel, reducing weight while improving resilience. The material could increase survivability and stability in both manned warships and unmanned surface vessels.
At the signing ceremony, Hanwha Ocean executive Kim Il-hong said the partnership would strengthen the company’s position in advanced naval design, while POSCO’s Song Yeon-kyun said the collaboration would boost South Korea’s overall shipbuilding competitiveness.
Broader Naval Shipbuilding Efforts
The project comes amid a global push to upgrade naval manufacturing materials and infrastructure.
In the United States, Austal USA began constructing a new submarine module facility in late 2024 to support Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines.
In Japan, meanwhile, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding launched a hydrogen dual-fuel tugboat using green steel from JFE Steel to reduce emissions.
South Korea is also expanding its own naval programs.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries recently announced plans to build up to five Aegis destroyers annually for the US Navy, while domestically, the KDDX destroyer program is underway, with six ships scheduled for delivery by 2030.
