EXCLUSIVE: South Korea's Hanwha Ocean Targets Mid-Class Submarine Export Market with Ocean 2000.

During MADEX 2025, the international maritime defense exhibition that was held in Busan, South Korea, from 28 to 31 May 2025, Hanwha Ocean promoted the Ocean 2000 submarine, a new mid-sized diesel-electric attack platform tailored for export. Also known as the DSME-2000, this submarine builds on the technological lineage of South Korea’s indigenous KSS-III program but is uniquely optimized to address the growing demand from foreign navies for compact, highly capable, and mission-flexible underwater assets.
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Scale model of the Hanwha Ocean Ocean 2000 mid-class diesel-electric submarine displayed at MADEX 2025, showcasing its export-oriented design and advanced combat capabilities. (Picture source: X account mason_8718)

The launch of the Ocean 2000 signals a significant strategic shift for Hanwha Ocean, which has traditionally focused on large strategic submarines such as the KSS-III Batch-I and Batch-II. Alongside Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is also presenting similar platforms at MADEX, Hanwha is now moving to capture market share in the competitive mid-class submarine segment. With its modern systems, modular weapon options, and strong emphasis on stealth and versatility, the Ocean 2000 is aimed squarely at Latin American, European, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern countries seeking high-performance submarines without the financial or logistical complexity of larger classes.

The Ocean 2000 has been designed as a force multiplier with a clear focus on delivering combat relevance across various maritime threat environments. From sea denial operations and anti-submarine warfare to precision strike missions and special forces delivery, the platform provides a comprehensive suite of tactical options. A major highlight is its weapon system, built around eight 533 mm forward-firing torpedo tubes. The configuration supports a flexible payload of up to 16 heavyweight torpedoes, submarine-launched anti-ship missiles, or naval mines, depending on mission requirements. This modular loadout capability enables operator nations to tailor the submarine’s offensive profile to regional contingencies or evolving strategic needs.

In terms of propulsion, the Ocean 2000 employs a hybrid power architecture that combines conventional diesel-electric engines with an advanced air-independent propulsion (AIP) module and lithium-ion battery technology. This allows for significantly extended submerged endurance, critical for evading enemy detection and sustaining long-range missions. The submarine can reach speeds of up to 20 knots while submerged and cruises at 10 knots on the surface. Its range, estimated at 10,000 nautical miles, allows for persistent presence across wide maritime zones—making it suitable for both green-water and blue-water operations.

The submarine’s stealth and detection capabilities are equally notable. Its sonar suite includes a cylindrical hydrophone array, intercept detection and ranging sonar, flank array sonar, passive ranging sonar, active operation sonar, and a towed array sonar. This comprehensive acoustic coverage enables advanced threat detection and tracking both above and below the surface. On the mast level, the Ocean 2000 is equipped with radar, SATCOM, electronic support measures (ESM), optronics, and up to two retractable communication masts. This suite ensures sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities even under contested conditions.

Structurally, the Ocean 2000 is 77.5 meters in length and has a hull diameter of 6.3 meters. It displaces 2,000 tonnes submerged, placing it between South Korea's older Jang Bogo-class submarines and the newer, more capable Dosan Ahn Changho class. The crew complement is 40 personnel, with additional space for 10 special operations commandos, further extending its role into covert insertion and asymmetric warfare. With these specifications, the Ocean 2000 is optimized for navies requiring both robust blue-water capability and agile performance in littoral zones.

From a doctrinal perspective, the Ocean 2000 is engineered to provide decisive capabilities in modern naval tactics. It can operate independently or as part of a networked task group, contributing to distributed lethality and ISR-sharing in multi-domain operations. It is especially well-suited for nations with expansive coastlines, archipelagic territories, or strategic chokepoints, where mobility, stealth, and lethality must be tightly integrated.

With the introduction of the Ocean 2000, Hanwha Ocean is not only expanding South Korea’s defense export portfolio but is also responding to a clear operational and economic need in the global naval community. In an era where budget-conscious but security-conscious nations are looking for credible undersea deterrence without entering the realm of strategic submarine investments, the Ocean 2000 represents a compelling and technologically mature solution.

The global submarine market is shifting, with demand rising for high-performance, medium-displacement platforms capable of strategic impact. The Ocean 2000 is emerging as a symbol of that evolution—bridging the gap between cost-efficiency and combat superiority, and offering navies a modern tool for control of the underwater battlespace.