VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has mastered the process of designing, manufacturing, assembling, operating and testing small-size submarines in accordance with international standards recognized by Germanischer Lloyd (GL).

Vietnam began thinking of building submarines in 2007, when the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Vinashin) intended to cooperate with German NEMO Company to manufacture subs in Vietnam.

However, the shipbuilder failed to make the deal because the German partner did not agree to cooperate to design subs, but only agreed to transfer assembling technology at a relatively high price of $1.2 million.

In 2009, a group of scientists from HiTechShin, a subsidiary of Vinashin, decided to set to work on a small submarine because of the big difficulties Vinashin was facing.

The scientists and sponsors spent VND28 billion to implement the sub building project. Later, they got VND3 billion more from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

All the phases of the building process, from designing, choosing materials, manufacturing and testing, have been undertaken by Vietnamese engineers and workers under the strict supervision by GL under a contract signed with the German registration agency.

A submarine has been built, with the length of 6.63 meters and height of 2.74 meters. It can move at the speed of 4.5 miles per hour, dive at the depth of 50 meters for 24 consecutive hours and can contain four people in the cabin. The makers named it Hoa Binh.

On September 21, the Hoa Binh sub was put to a test at Cam Ranh Bay at the depth of 15 meters in good weather with a slight wind, and fourth-level wave. The crew included Bui Xuan Dung, deputy general director of HiTechShin, two other scientists and Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan.

Quan, when asked why he sat in the cabin of the sub, said he did it because he believes in Vietnamese scientists.

The future of the industry

According to Quan, a similar submarine can be bought from foreign sources at $5-7 million. Meanwhile, it can be made in Vietnam at $1.5 million only.

And if oil exploiters charter the foreign-made subs to carry out the trips to examine oil rigs for three years, the total sum of money paid would be even higher than the money needed to make a sub in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) said that Vietnam has mastered the designing, manufacturing, assembling, operating and testing of small-size submarines in accordance with international standards.

Vietnam now needs small submarines for different purposes, including for sea tourism and ocean study. The successful manufacturing of Hoa Binh sub has a special significance as the country not only can manufacture subs for domestic use but also for export.

Besides Hoa Binh, Vietnam has two other sub models, including Truong Sa sub created by Nguyen Quoc Hoa, a businessman in Thai Binh province, and the Yet Kieu sub by Phan Boi Tran, a mechanical engineer.

Tien Phong