Government ministries again expressed their intent to provide support at the government level to back the bid for the Canada Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), valued at up to 60 trillion won.

Minister Mélanie Joly (center) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) poses for a group photo on the 24th at the Hanwha Ocean Geoje yard with Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-cheul (fourth from left) and Defense Acquisition Program Administration Vice Administrator Kang Hwan-seok (third from left), with the Jang Yeong-sil submarine built by Hanwha Ocean in the background. /Courtesy of Hanwha Ocean

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said on the 20th it held a signing ceremony at the Government Complex Gwacheon for a letter of commitment expressing the government's support and intent to carry out industrial and technological benefits (ITB) for the "one team" of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is pursuing a bid for Canada's submarine program. The ceremony was attended by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Ministry of National Defense, the Navy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

The letter of commitment states that, to support the bid for Canada's submarine program, the relevant ministries, led by the presidential office, will responsibly support at the pan-government level the industrial cooperation projects identified and reflected in the proposal.

A consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are competing in the final round. In this bidding war, along with performance, delivery, and price, practical contributions to Canada's industry (ITB) are reflected as an important evaluation criterion.

Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries prepared their proposal with this in mind, and, led by the presidential office, the relevant ministries also identified and fleshed out industrial cooperation projects through collaboration and included them in the proposal.

Defense Acquisition Program Administration Commissioner Lee Yong-chul said, "Canada's submarine program is an industrial cooperation package that must comprehensively embody the government's credibility and ability to deliver," and added, "The government will systematically provide the necessary support so corporations can responsibly fulfill their proposals."

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