Shephard: "HHI poised to start submarine production in Peru pending election outcome"

 

 

"HHI poised to start submarine production in Peru pending election outcome"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Shephard

6 May, 2026

Published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/hhi-poised-start-submarine-production-peru-election-outcome/ 

South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries confirmed to Shephard that the company is awaiting the Peruvian government’s decision to allow it to move forward with the production of the HDS-1500 submarine. 

 

Breaking Defense: "With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold"

 

"With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Breaking Defense

20 May, 2024

Originally published: https://breakingdefense.com/2024/05/with-back-to-back-deals-in-peru-south-korea-defense-industry-expands-south-american-foothold/

A new shipbuilding deal could be a test case that, if successful, could lead for years more work and millions more in deals for Seoul, in Peru and South America.

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Shephard Media: Peruvian Navy boosted by shipyard SIMA’s progress

 

"Peruvian Navy boosted by shipyard SIMA’s progress"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Shephard Media

9 January, 2024

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/peruvian-navy-boosted-by-shipyard-simas-progress/

SIMA has been manufacturing vessels and modernising submarines to expand the capabilities of the Peruvian Navy’s fleet.

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Breaking Defense: "Peruvian Navy sails forward with local shipyard SIMA"

 

"Peruvian Navy sails forward with local shipyard SIMA"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare / Global

Breaking Defense

28 July, 2023

Originally published: https://breakingdefense.com/2023/07/peruvian-navy-sails-forward-with-local-shipyard-sima/

The construction of a second LPD highlights how SIMA, like several other South American shipyards, can now build more complex vessels, reducing the MGP’s reliance on international suppliers. 

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Shephard Media: "Peru bets on local industry to supply naval needs"

 

"Peru bets on local industry to supply naval needs"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Shephard Media

 1 February 2023

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/peru-bets-on-local-industry-to-supply-naval-needs/

Peru is backing domestic shipyard SIPA to build new vessels across multiple classes, but may yet need foreign design and construction expertise for programme success.

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Shephard Media: "Brazil and Peru launch domestically built naval vessels"

 

"Brazil and Peru launch domestically built naval vessels"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Naval Warfare

Shephard Media

16 December 2022

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/brazil-and-peru-launch-domestically-built-naval-vessels/

Brazil's navy has received an additional patrol boat, while a second landing platform dock (LPD) has been launched in Peru.

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Shephard Media: Peru sets out naval modernisation plans for 2022

 

"Peru sets out naval modernisation plans for 2022"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Shephard Media

14 January, 2022

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/peru-sets-out-naval-modernisation-plans-for-2022/

Peru continues to upgrade its naval capabilities despite its limited budget.

The Peruvian Navy will focus on developing domestically manufactured vessels and upgrading several of its units throughout 2022. However, the overall defence budget for the year ($1.83 billion) is similar to 2021 ($1.82 billion), leaving little room for the acquisition of new equipment from international suppliers.

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CIMSEC: Made in Latin America: Domestically Manufactured Ecuadorian and Peruvian Ships Meet in the Pacific

 

"Made in Latin America: Domestically Manufactured Ecuadorian and Peruvian Ships Meet in the Pacific"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Southern Tide

Center for International Maritime Security

17 June 2021

Originally published: https://cimsec.org/made-in-latin-america-domestically-manufactured-ecuadorian-and-peruvian-ships-meet-in-the-pacific/

 The Ecuadorian coast guard vessel Isla Santa Cruz escorted the Peruvian training vessel BAP Unión while the latter sailed through Ecuadorian waters as part of a training mission in mid-May. While cordial encounters at sea between ships belonging to friendly navies are quite common, a curious fact about this meeting is that both vessels were manufactured domestically by local state-run shipyards.

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Shephard Media: Peru lays out naval modernisation plans

 

 

 "Peru lays out naval modernisation plans"

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Shephard Media

November 4, 2020

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/premium-peru-lays-out-naval-modernisation-plans/

 

 New OPVs will be joined by four logistics vessels, while upgrade work continues on four diesel-electric submarines

The Peruvian Navy (MGP) plans to acquire up to three new OPVs to improve maritime patrol operations. The service has not disclosed the exact design it intends to procure but it requires vessels with 1,500-2,000t displacement and the capability to transport a helicopter.

State-run shipyard Servicios Industriales de ...

 

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CIMSEC: EXPONAVAL 2016 AND LATIN AMERICA’S ARMS FAIRS

"EXPONAVAL 2016 and Latin America's Arms Fairs"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
The Southern Tide
Center for International Maritime Security
January 23, 2017
Originally published: http://cimsec.org/exponaval-2016-latin-americas-arms-fairs/30503

Written by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.

“The security environment in Latin America and the Caribbean is characterized by complex, diverse, and non-traditional challenges to U.S. interests.” Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, before the 114thCongress Senate Armed Services Committee, 10 March 2016.

By W. Alejandro Sanchez

Chile organized the 10th Exponaval exhibition from 29 November – 2 December. The arms fair brought dozens of defense companies to northern Chile, where they showcased their latest maritime defense technology with the hope of securing new contracts. Arms fairs are a common event in the defense industry and they regularly take place in locations across the world, hence the success of Exponaval is particularly relevant as it will help Chile, and Latin America, cement its place in the global arms fair circuit.

Exponaval 2016

The Chilean government and Navy give great importance to Exponaval (full name Exhibición y Conferencia Internacional Naval y Marítima para Latinoamérica) as exemplified by the participation of President Michelle Bachelet, who gave a speech on 29 November to officially open the arms fair. The country’s defense minister and military authorities were also present. Unsurprisingly, during her speech, President Bachelet took a moment to praise her nation’s state-run shipyard Astilleros de la Marina (ASMAR) as it is constructing, with support from the Canadian company Vard, a new ice breaker for the Navy, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Exponaval 2016 was held at the at the Concon naval base in Viña del Mar, northern Chile. It is also important to note that the recent arms fair was actually a two in one event, as  the 10th Exponaval was also the 5th Trans-Port (full name,Exhibición de la Industria Marítima Portuaria para Latinoamérica), an exhibit of port industries in Latin America.

As for the type of technology that was exhibited, some examples include Russia’s Rosoboronexport, which displayed “Project 12150 Mangust fast patrol boats, the Varshavyanka-class (Project 636) submarines and Amur 1650 class submarines among other vehicles.” A number of British companies were also present, as Mercopress news agencyexplains that “companies exhibiting on the Department of Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation’s stand include: Leafield, SEA, MOD Disposals Agency and Ultra Electronics. Other UK companies exhibiting include BAE Systems, MBDA, Qinetiq, Kelvin Hughes, Lloyds Register and Thales.”

Additionally, there were also important developments among Latin American maritime defense industries. Case in point, a representative from Colombia’s Corporación de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo de la Industria Naval Marítima y Fluvial (COTECMAR) told the defense news agency IHS Jane’sthat “a joint programme between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru to develop a new river patrol ship is now under way, with design work expected to conclude in the second half of 2017.” The project dates back to 2015, but it is an important development that there is already a (still somewhat distant) deadline for the completion of the design.

Apart from the sales booths, there were several technical presentations via which experts shared their knowledge. According to Exponaval, the presentations included representatives from renowned defense companies like Navantia, MBDA Missile Systems, SAAB Group as well as Chile’s ASMAR.

Even more, the Chilean Navy had  prominent participation in the fair, as it carried out exercises for the audience. This included a simulation in Valparaiso Bay of a vessel carrying radioactive material that is taken over by terrorists, where Chilean naval forces demonstrated how they would react to this hypothetical crisis.

Other Latin American Arms Fairs

It is worth noting that other Latin American countries also have arms fairs, though Exponaval stands out as it focuses on maritime defense technology. For example, Chile organizes another arms fair for aerial technology, the FIDAE-International Air & Space Fair (Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio). As for other regional states, Brazil organizes theLAAD Security–Feira Internacional de Segurança Pública e Corporativa (International Fair of Public and Corporate Security); Colombia has the Expodefensa International Fair of Defense and Security (Feria Internacional de Defensa y Seguridad); while Peru organizes the SITDEF–International Show for Defense Technology and Disaster Prevention (Salon Internacional de Tecnologia para la Defensa y Prevencion de Desastres).

Like with Exponaval, other governments and militaries provide support for these fairs in their respective nations. For example, while Exponaval 2016 took place at the Concon naval base, SITDEF 2017 will reportedly be held at the Peruvian Army’s headquarters in Lima.

Significance

What is the importance of Latin America organizing arms fairs? This author would argue that the main objective is to demonstrate that Latin America should not be regarded as a sole importer of military technology, but also a producer and a “showcase center” where deals can be made. President Bachelet voiced a similar idea in her welcome message as she stressed how this arms fair “allows a meeting between[suppliers] from the naval defense and maritime industry with official delegations from Latin American navies and the port agencies from other countries.”

In a 22 August commentary for CIMSEC entitled “The Rise of the Latin American Shipyard” the author discussed how various Latin American nations are constructing their own naval platforms and are even attempting to sell them to foreign customers. Since said commentary was published there have been new developments in the region: Colombia’sCOTECMAR has signed a contract with Honduras and another one with Panama for logistic multipurpose vessels; Peru’sServicios Industriales de la Marina (SIMA) has reached an agreement with Bolivia to sell its navy a riverine hospital ship; finally Ecuador’s shipyard Astilleros Navales Ecuatorianos (ASTINAVE) on 10 November “announced it is to construct three passenger boats for the Panama Canal Authority.”

Hence, regional arms fairs are particularly important for Latin American defense industries as they they allow for opportunity to showcase their products to regional navies and international firms in order to attract future sales. The aforementioned deals by ASTINAVE, COTECMAR and SIMA highlight that intra-regional naval platforms sales are already happening, and future arms fairs will benefit these companies in their eternal quest for new customers; hence it should not come as a surprise that SIMA and COTECMAR were present in Exponaval.

This brings us to the obvious question: to what extent do the exhibitions and meetings made during these arms fairs, such as Exponaval, result in actual contracts? Exponaval naturally summarized the recent fair as a success, explaining how over 140 company experts gave presentations, while putting the number of attendees at over nine thousand visits. Additionally,regional navies deployed some of their platforms, including Argentina’s corvette Robinson; Brazil’s Niteroi-class frigateConstitucion; Mexico’s patrol vessel Centenario de la Revolución; while the United Kingdom deployed the frigate HMS Portland and the tanker RFA Gold Rover.

As for contracts, Exponaval’s declared in a statement that deals were made for more than USD $800 million, but “thisamount is related to the projects that the participating navies have in development for the next few years.” Hence, we will have to wait and see if in the coming months announcements are made about contracts between Latin American navies and maritime defense companies, and whether they can be traced back to Exponaval 2016.

Final Thoughts

The Exponaval 2016 arms fair which recently took place in northern Chile should be regarded as a success for local government and maritime forces. It was reportedly well-structured, with over a hundred companies showcasing their maritime defense products, it hosted thousands of visitors, and even featured visiting warships from friendly nations. Santiago also demonstrated the accomplishments of its state-run shipyard ASMAR as well as the professionalism of its naval forces. Ultimately, we will have to wait to see if, indeed, Exponaval (not to mention other Latin American defense fairs) can reliably serve as a place where suppliers and customers can meet and ultimately reach sales agreements.

Alejandro Sanchez Nieto is a researcher who focuses on geopolitical, military, and cyber security issues in the Western Hemisphere. Follow him on Twitter:@W_Alex_Sanchez.

The views presented in this essay are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of any institutions with which the author is associated.

Living in Peru: Peru’s military industry: FAME signs deal with UWS

"Peru's Military Industry: FAME signs deal with UWS"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Living in Peru
February 15, 2016
Originally published: http://mobi.peruthisweek.com/blogs-fame-peru-military-108816/

The Peruvian defense industry is known for making bizarre decisions, and this latest deal with a US weapons company is a little shady.

The Peruvian military industrial complex keeps expanding. This past December, the Peruvian Fí¡brica de Armas y Municiones del Ejército (FAME S.A.C.) selected the U.S. company Unified Weapons Systems (UWS) as the winner of a competition for new rifles. FAME and UWSwill manufacture assault rifles caliber 7.62×51mm and 5.56×45mm; the exact quantity of said rifles is still unknown, but a FAME press release states that they will be manufactured in the industry's facilities in Peru. This is an important detail because not only will the Peruvian military get brand-new rifles, but Peruvian technicians will learn how to manufacture modern rifles. Hopefully this will mean that FAME will be able to produce other weapons, without having to rely on foreign companies, in the near future.

A word must be said about Peru's military industrial complex; in the last couple of years, it has scored a number of important achievements. In particular, the Peruvian Navy's Servicios Industriales de la Marina , is producing new equipment for the country's maritime forces. In a July 2015 commentary for Living in Peru, I discussed the construction of the BAP Union, the pride of the Peruvian Navy as it is the largest-sail vessel in any Latin American Navy; it was manufactured by SIMA's shipyard and was put in the water in a 2014 ceremony. The BAP Union will train generations of new Peruvian naval officers.

As for FAME, the company has been around for quite some time, but it suffered a severe setback during the Alberto Fujimori dictatorship (1990-2000), as it was essentially 'œcannibalized,' as a retired Peruvian Army officer told me. Production came to a halt asFAME simply did not have the machinery to continue its operations, as they were taken away by Fujimori and his cronies. After the Fujimori dictatorship came to an end, FAME slowly began to rebuild itself and in recent years it started producing ammo (like 9×19mm bullets) and bulletproof vests. Hence, the FAME–UWS deal is important as it will help FAME regain its lost status and expertise.

A word of caution is necessary: UWS does not appear to be a major weapons manufacturing company. In my research for this commentary, I visited UWS's website: it does not provide a phone number and the only way to contact the company is via an online form to send a message. The company is based in Tampa, Florida, but when I put the address in Google View, it shows a medium-sized warehouse. Nevertheless, UWS' website claims that it has facilities totaling over 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and over 500 employees. In other words, UWS may produce various types of reliable rifles, but personally, I would not compare it to more reputable and globally-known companies such as FN Herstal, Colt, Beretta, among (many) others.

Sadly, the Peruvian defense industry is known for making bizarre decisions. Just this past year, FAME signed a similar cooperation agreement with a Czech weapons company, Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ), to manufacture guns. Nevertheless, this past December Peru announced an agreement with the U.S. via which Lima will purchase some 28 thousand 9mm guns, from the company SIG Sauer Inc, for the police. It is unclear what will be the future of the FAME-CZ agreement given the deal with SIG Sauer which in theory makes the former deal unnecessary (unless Peruvian policymakers plan to produce guns for the military and have surplus for the police).

The relative obscurity of UWS and the bizarre FAME/CZ and Lima/Sauer deals means that there may be, unfortunately, some shady aspects to the FAME–UWS deal.

In late 2015 I drafted a report about Peru's weapons industry for the Argentine think tank Centro Argentino de Estudios Internacionales (CAEI). In the report, I discussed that, in the end, the most important fact for any Peruvian soldier fighting narco-insurgents is to have the most reliable weapon possible in his hands. Hence, in the end it should not matter if FAME teams up with a relatively unknown company if the end-product is of high quality. Moreover, if UWS is professional and efficient, FAME technicians will have valuable new training so that they can build Peruvian-made weapons in the near future. The problem is that these are a lot of 'œifs.'

Hopefully this new agreement will be mutually beneficial but, as any military knows, we have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Jane's IHS: Peruvian Navy set to receive BAP Union

"Peruvian Navy set to receive BAP Union"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
IHS Jane's Defense Weekly - Sea Platforms
January 24, 2016
Originally published: http://www.janes.com/article/57444/peruvian-navy-set-to-receive-bap-union

The Peruvian Navy is to commission its newest ship, the sail training vessel BAP Unión, on 27 January. Unión was built by state-run shipyard Servicios Industriales de la Marina (SIMA) with co-operation from Spain's CYPSA Ingenieros Navales.

The ship was constructed relatively quickly; its keel-laying ceremony was in December 2012 and in December 2014 it was launched in a ceremony attended by Peruvian president Ollanta Humala.

The ship is the largest masted training vessel among Latin American navies; it has four masts, displaces 3,500 tonnes, and is 115.7 m long. The vessel's commander is Captain Gianfranco Polar and it will have a crew of 100.

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Peru This Week: The Pride of the Peruvian Navy: The BAP Union

"The Pride of the Peruvian Navy: The BAP Union"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Peru This Week
July 20, 2015
Originally published: http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-the-pride-of-the-peruvian-navy-the-bap-union-107058

The construction of the BAP Unión is well underway, and, upon completion, it will be the largest sail vessel in Latin America and will train Peruvian sailors for generations. The contract for the Unión was awarded to a Peruvian state-run shipyard, the Servicios Industriales de la Marina, meaning that the vessel will be manufactured in Peru for the use of the Peruvian Navy.

With an estimated $60-70 million USD price tag, the Unión will be 115 meters long, weigh approximately 3,500 tons, and have four masts. The vessel, which is expected to go as fast as 12 knots, will have a crew of around 100 personnel but will have room to accommodate up to an additional 160. Given the budget and the ambitiousness of the project, it is no surprise that the senior members of the Peruvian government and military have gone to SIMA’s shipyard to personally inspect the ship’s construction. Just over the past year, Peru’s Defense Minister, the commander of the Peruvian Navy, and even President Ollanta Humala himself have visited the SIMA shipyard in Callao.

It seems that everything is on schedule regarding the Unión, as it was launched this past December 2014 in a ceremony with President Humala in attendance. The vessel will be officially commissioned by the end of this year. A May 2014 issue of the Peruvian Navy’s magazine Monitor best exemplifies the pride that this branch of the South American nation’s military feels regarding the Unión. The opening paragraph of an article about the ship’s construction explains how the new vessel can be compared to those in which Admiral Miguel Grau himself, the hero of the Peruvian Navy, learned about sailing in the 19th century. The construction of the Unión is not simply an industrial challenge for SIMA or part of the Navy’s aim to reinvigorate its inventory, this new ship is also meant to teach future Peruvian sailors how their ancestors navigated the seas and help them connect with the country’s ultimate naval hero.

During the 2014 ceremony, President Humala remarked how “it is important [to note that] we did not buy [the Unión]. We made it here. In Peru we have the technology for maritime construction of this type of vessels.” This is an important fact to keep in mind since, as previously mentioned, the Unión is being constructed by the Peruvian shipyards SIMA. In recent years, SIMA has carried out some important manufacturing projects for the Peruvian Navy and is also (slowly) expanding into the competitive international shipbuilding- market. Among its recent projects is the construction of two multipurpose ships as well as an auxiliary towing vessel. Besides its main facilities in Callao, SIMAalso has shipyards in Chimbote (north of Lima) and in Iquitos (in the Peruvian Amazon).

Moreover, at the international level, an important milestone was reached in April 2014 when former Defense Minister Pedro Cateriano (now the President of the Council of Ministers) went to Panama and met with his then Central American counterpart, José Raúl Mulino. The two signed a cooperation agreement through which SIMA will open a shipyard in Panama. This shipyard will provide technical expertise, including repairs, to vessels that are travelling through the Panama Canal. SIMA-Panama relations are nothing novel, as the Peruvian shipyard constructed two support boats for the Panama Canal Authority in 2011. More recent information regarding the status of the SIMA shipyard in Panama is unavailable but hopefully this agreement will ultimately materialize.

The construction of the Unión and SIMA’s other projects demonstrate the growing capabilities of Peru’s shipbuilding industry. Certainly, SIMA is in no capacity to build a complex vessel like a carrier, but its current projects highlight how the Peruvian state-run shipyard is making a name for itself and could become an important supplier in the international shipbuilding industry in the near future. As for the BAP Unión, when it is completed and commissioned, it will be a sail vessel that would make Admiral Grau himself proud.