K-Shipbuilding enters bid for 3 trillion won Croatian patrol vessel project... ‘Local construction’ put to the test

[Financial News] K-Shipbuilding is set to enter the bidding for a multi-purpose patrol vessel acquisition program being pursued to modernize the Croatian Navy’s capabilities.
According to foreign media and industry sources on the 13th, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia plans to order two multi-purpose patrol vessels. The project is estimated to be worth around 660 million to 1.6 billion euros (approximately 1.1 trillion to 2.7 trillion won). The final contractor is scheduled to be selected in June, with delivery of the first vessel targeted for 2029–2030.
The Republic of Croatia is approaching this project not as a simple purchase, but with a strategy centered on local construction and technology transfer. The Croatian government has stipulated that the vessels be built using domestic shipyards such as Brodosplit Shipyard and the Treimai shipyard. Behind this is a strategy to rebuild the country’s sluggish shipbuilding industry while simultaneously strengthening naval capabilities.
In the Republic of Korea, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. are expected to compete for the project. The two companies are reported to have proposed designs based on the Incheon-class frigate and Daegu-class frigate currently in service with the Korean Navy, offering relatively high-performance warships compared with other bidding countries.
They are said to be proposing capabilities that go beyond the usual patrol vessel category, reaching corvette-level combat power. Their strengths are cited as medium-range air-defense capability, relatively strong firepower, and price competitiveness relative to performance.
France is expected to be the strongest competitor. The state-owned French shipbuilder Naval Group has proposed a 2,500-ton Gowind-class corvette, highlighting as a key advantage the strategic partnership built through Croatia’s introduction of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet and the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer.
Germany has also joined the bidding with a proposal based on the Braunschweig-class corvette. It is viewed as enhancing its competitiveness through an aggressive localization strategy, including equity investment in local shipyards. The Republic of Türkiye has emerged as a practical rival by putting forward the Ada-class corvette, emphasizing price competitiveness and short delivery times.
For K-Shipbuilding to win this contract, analysts say the key will be how flexibly it can respond to requirements for local construction and technology transfer, while maintaining the performance edge of its warships.
hoya0222@fnnews.com Kim Dong-ho Reporter