The United Kingdom's Prince Edward and DSME President Ko Jae-ho tour the Geoje shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) on Nov. 2. (Photo: DSME)

The United Kingdom's Prince Edward toured the Geoje shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) on Nov. 2. 

The shipyard maintains close relations with the Royal Navy. DSME is the world's second largest shipbuilder. 

Prince Edward visited to get a personal update on the progress of four Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers ordered by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Prince Edward is the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the eighth in line to succeed her mother. He joined the Royal Marines after graduating from university, and he now serves as commander-in-chief for the RFA. 

Escorted by DSME President Ko Jae-ho, Shin Joon-sup, head of the special vessel business division, and other DSME officers, Prince Edward and British Ambassador to Korea Scott Wightman took a four hour tour and inspected the shipyard’s production facilities and construction status of the of MARS. 

In 2012, DSME was awarded the MARS project by the Royal Navy. One of the four MARS tankers is to be delivered in October 2015, and the other three will be handed over to the Royal Navy by 2017.

DSME’s winning of the MARS deal has served as a good opportunity for the Korean shipbuilder to forge close ties with the Royal Navy. DSME also won a deal to build warships for Norway in June 2013. Thanks to the recommendation of the Royal Navy, which was happy with DSME’s implementation of the MARS project, DSME won the biggest-ever MARS project the Norwegian Navy has so far ordered. 

At the request of the British government, DSME signed an agreement to offer management consulting services to BAE Systems Surface Ships Ltd., a surface ship and through-life support service provider. After conducting a due diligence of BAE’s 11 business arenas, DSME is to submit to BAE a final report containing ways of reducing shipbuilding costs and fixing inefficiency. 

DSME President Ko said his company is stepping up efforts to boost defense exports, thanks in part to the global network of the Royal Navy.