South Korea’s latest effort to be the builder of Canada’s next submarines surfaced in Victoria, showcasing what could develop if the country is chosen as the successful bid.
Two warships, originally from South Korea’s Jinhae Naval Base, arrived after a two-month journey with the ROKS Dosan Ahn Changhosubmarine and ROKS Daejeon both making port on Saturday.
Rear Adm. David Patchell, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific, said he was “incredibly thankful” the South Koreans made their way to Victoria.
“It’s excitement about the Royal Canadian Navy that we are building,” he said. “We are about to purchase brand new submarines. We’re building new destroyers, new supply ships …We are building the navy Canada needs to defend all three of our oceans.”
Canada has received two bids for a contract to build new submarines: one from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, which built the two ships being seen in Victoria.
Over the past few months, Hanwha ads promoting its KSS-III submarine have been popping up all over including on YouTube ads, on billboards and other promotional materials as the company tries to make itself a household name in Ottawa.
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The South Korean company has also said it would build its military vehicles in Canada in partnership with the domestic auto sector, including mobile howitzers, rocket launch systems and infantry vehicles. But that hinges on them being the successful bidder.
“As you know, there’s an investment case that goes with this that the Canadian government has asked for,” said Glenn Copeland, CEO for Hanwha Canada. “But certainly what we’ve heard loud and clear is to deliver the first four submarines as quickly as possible with no modifications to the batch too.”
The KSS-III that arrived in Victoria is the type that will be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy, with an arrival time of 2032.
Canada is hoping to get 12 submarines, Patchell said, which he added would make the country a “submarine nation.”
TKMS did not comment on aspects of the bid while the government is assessing them, spokesperson Nils Beyer said in April, but said the strength of the overall strategy is the “depth of government-backed engagement” supporting it.
Beyer said this includes targeted investment mechanisms, strategic infrastructure supports, and financial frameworks that enable long-term delivery.
The German producer’s bid is supported by the governments of Germany and Norway, which are selling it to Canadian officials as more of a partnership with NATO allies.
The longtime sub maker has also sought to include Canadian companies in its supply chain and prospective bid. Beyer pointed to TKMS forging partnerships with Bombardier and Lockheed Martin Canada.
Both companies have been told to expect a decision in June, which would pave the way for delivery in 2032.
“I need them yesterday,” Patchell said. “Canada needs a navy. We are the largest maritime, the longest coastline in the world, 244,000 kilometres stretched across three oceans. So we need a navy, we always need a navy, and we’ve always needed submarines.”
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