Seoul offers submarine, drone co-production deals to Greece

South Korea has submitted three major defence cooperation proposals to Greece, including submarine construction, MUM-T drone systems, and co-production of military vehicles, as part of a broader push to expand into the European market amid Europe’s rearmament program.

The latest proposal came from Hanwha Ocean and includes the construction of new submarines and the upgrade of Greece’s existing Type 214 fleet. Hanwha, which has already built three Type 214 submarines, is currently developing the KSS-III (Dosan Ahn Changho class), capable of carrying ballistic missiles, Caliber.Az reports, citing Greek media.

Greek defence officials have praised South Korean technology for its high quality. They requested a detailed proposal outlining co-production terms and submarine upgrades in Greek shipyards, with a minimum 25% participation by the local defence industry, in line with new requirements.

Earlier, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) proposed production of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) systems in Greece. These “Loyal Wingman” systems pair unmanned combat drones with manned aircraft and are currently developed for South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jets.

A third proposal involves the supply and co-production of military vehicles in Greece to replace the aging fleet used daily by the Hellenic Army.

Athens has already expressed interest in developing such a program if budget space allows.

Greek authorities have noted the proposals align with the Long-Term Armament Planning framework.

Officials have urged further discussions at higher levels to explore potential agreements.

The initiatives are part of Seoul’s broader effort to gain a foothold in Europe’s €800 billion rearmament program over the coming years.