0.58점의 승부, 7.8조 KDDX 사업의 향방을 가른 '보안의 무게' > K-wave Trends

The key to this evaluation result was definitely the variable called ‘security deduction’. Although HD Hyundai Heavy Industries received a technical score approximately 0.6 points higher than Hanwha Ocean, it was unable to overcome the 1.2-point security deduction imposed due to a past military secret leak incident. In the past, an incident in which executives and employees of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries illegally filmed and shared a competitor's concept blueprint went beyond a simple internal deviation and served as a negative factor that shook the credibility of the defense industry, which is directly related to national security. After reviewing the legal principles, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration extended the period for application of point deductions based on the time of final conviction to the end of this year, and the court also ruled in favor of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration by dismissing HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' request for provisional injunction one after another in this regard. In the end, in this contract battle, the victory or defeat was determined by the shadow of the past, such as past security violations, rather than the exact method of technology.

Hanwha Ocean attaches great significance to the fact that its cutting-edge shipbuilding capabilities and business execution capabilities have been officially recognized through this evaluation. Hanwha Ocean emphasizes that this result goes beyond a simple victory and proves that it is the right person to lead the perfect system integration of KDDX, which is equipped with 9 types of domestically produced equipment. In particular, based on our experience participating in the concept design, we are expressing our strong will to quickly make up for the delayed project schedule and minimize the gap in naval power. The market is also positively evaluating the possibility of Hanwha Ocean being selected as the preferred bidder, showing expectations with its stock price soaring. Securing the detailed design and construction rights for the lead ship will be a decisive bridgehead for taking the lead in future follow-up ship projects, so it will be a life-or-death all-out battle for Hanwha Ocean.

On the other hand, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which suffered a setback despite having a technological advantage, cannot hide its embarrassment and disappointment. Despite being ahead in technical scores, the situation in which the company failed due to a wall of deductions left a big challenge for its future business strategy. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced that it will apply for a debriefing with the DAPA in the future to understand the detailed basis of the evaluation results and review follow-up procedures such as appeals. Some are concerned that if HD Hyundai Heavy Industries takes strong action, such as a lawsuit, the project may be delayed again. However, since the court has already confirmed the legitimacy of the security deduction, the prevailing view is that it will not be easy to overturn the result.

The KDDX project is a large-scale project for the Republic of Korea Navy to build six 6,000-ton mini Aegis ships by 2030 with its own technology. It was a common practice for the company that initially performed the basic design to proceed with the detailed design, but this project turned into a battle of pride between the two companies with the introduction of a competitive bidding method. In some cases, rather than one company monopolizing the six ships, an alternative is to split the volume between two companies, taking into account their technological and construction capabilities. However, considering that the company in charge of detailed design and construction of the lead ship sets the design standard for the ship and takes the lead in selecting equipment and materials, the selection of the preferred bidder will be a very important milestone in determining who will set the standard for the Korean Navy's power in the future.