The preferred bidder for Canada's project to acquire 12 next-generation submarines is expected to be revealed on the 6th local time.
On the 5th, the Globe and Mail, a leading Canadian daily, cited multiple government sources to report that Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to officially announce on the 6th whether Korea or Germany has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Canadian submarine project (CPSP).
The Prime Minister's Office also noted that Carney plans to announce at 5:10 p.m. on the 6th in Halifax, Nova Scotia, "new measures to make Canada a safer, more resilient and more prosperous nation."
This announcement is a step to select a preferred bidder before the final contract is signed, and negotiations to fine-tune detailed terms are expected to take years.
The CPSP is a major program to acquire up to 12 diesel submarines to replace the aging Victoria-class submarines. Including submarine construction expense and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) expense over 30 years after acquisition, the project is estimated to be worth up to 60 trillion won.
Hanwha Ocean and Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) have been shortlisted as qualified candidates and are in a final competition.
Earlier, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, regarding the bid for this project, said it was "about 50–50," adding, "We submitted a diligent and feasible proposal that we can speak about with confidence, and they are likely making a careful judgment."