It's like driving a 1999 Honda Civic and then buying a new Tesla.
On the 24th (local time), Master Seaman Jake Dixon of the Royal Canadian Navy told Canadian outlet The Globe and Mail that he had boarded Korea's diesel submarine Dosan Ahn Changho class (KSS-III) Submarine (3,000-ton class) and said this. Dixon boarded the Dosan Ahn Changho class (KSS-III) Submarine in Hawaii, the United States, on the 7th and arrived at Esquimalt base the day before.
The Dosan Ahn Changho class (KSS-III) Submarine departed Jinhae naval port on Mar. 26 and, for the first time for a Korean submarine, crossed the Pacific to enter a Royal Canadian Navy base. The trip is part of a schedule to participate in a Korea-Canada naval joint cooperation drill. It set a Korean-made submarine's longest voyage record of about 14,000 kilometers one way, proving blue-water operational capability.
Lieutenant Commander Brittany Bourgeois, who boarded the submarine with Dixon, cited the Korean submarine's advantages as having almost no rust and ample space. Bourgeois said, "After riding a latest submarine myself, I could clearly see how different things will be when we get a new submarine."
As praise from the Royal Canadian Navy continues, attention is on whether Korea will gain momentum in the bid for the Canada Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). The project aims to introduce up to 12 diesel submarines to replace four Victoria-class submarines slated to retire in the mid-2030s, and is valued at up to 60 trillion won.
Korea's Hanwha Ocean–HD Hyundai Heavy Industries consortium is competing with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Korea has proposed the navy's latest submarine, the Jangbogo-III (KSS-III), while TKMS has proposed the 212CD submarine, a Germany-Norway joint development model. The industry expects the contract winner could be decided as early as June.
Canada urgently needs new submarines. Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Fleet Commander David Patchell said, "We have operated submarines for more than 100 years, but we have not been a true submarine power," adding, "If we have 12 modern submarines, Canada can become a submarine power." Canada currently operates only four Victoria-class submarines acquired secondhand from the United Kingdom in 1998. Three of them are under repair, leaving just one boat available for actual operations.
Accordingly, "fast delivery" is cited as Korea's edge. Kevin Burdeniuk, director at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, a Canadian defense think tank, wrote in a Policy op-ed that "Korea plans to deliver the first submarine by 2032, four by 2035, and additional boats each year after," adding, "Hanwha holds a considerable advantage in this area." Burdeniuk also emphasized that Korean submarines are already in operation.
By contrast, regarding TKMS, he said, "They are not transparently disclosing delivery timelines, but some projections suggest Canada would not receive the first submarine until the mid-to-late 2030s," adding, "The 212CD is a newly developed platform that is only now entering mass production and remains unproven."
Both sides are proposing various economic and industrial packages beyond submarines. Last month, Hanwha Ocean signed a memorandum of understanding that, if it wins the submarine order, it would locally produce armored vehicles in Canada and invest 345 million Canadian dollars (about 380 billion won) in Algoma Steel in Ontario. Hanwha says the investment could create 15,000 to 22,500 jobs annually in Canada through 2044.
To support TKMS, Germany has offered assistance for infrastructure related to rare earth mining and resource security, tied to investments in electric-vehicle battery production in Canada. It is also considering procuring Bombardier aircraft in Canada.