The navies of South Korea and Canada will carry out a historic event: for the first time, one of South Korea’s new KSS-III submarines will exercise with the North American country’s navy, within the framework of a deployment that also includes its participation in multinational exercises led by the United States. The official objective is to strengthen maritime cooperation and advance in the industrial competition for the future submarine program that the Royal Canadian Navy has under evaluation.
The submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, of 3,000 tons, will depart from Jinhae towards Victoria, on Canada’s west coast, to participate in combined maneuvers scheduled for June. The Republic of Korea Navy reported that the journey will cover around 14,000 kilometers and will include stops in Guam and Hawaii for resupply, where two Canadian submariners will join the South Korean crew for the final leg toward Canadian territory. When the mission concludes, it will be the longest distance traveled by a South Korean submarine to date.
After the bilateral exercises, the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho will join the multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), led by the United States, which will take place in Hawaii at the end of June. According to the Republic of Korea Navy, the deployment aims to demonstrate operational capabilities at a time when South Korean companies are competing for a key contract that Canada considers a priority to renew its submarine fleet.
The departure of the submarine will be marked by a ceremony at the Submarine Forces Command, located at the naval base in Jinhae, with the presence of South Korean authorities, including the vice chief of naval operations and the head of the state arms procurement agency. Foreign representatives will also attend, such as the Canadian ambassador to South Korea, Philippe Lafortune, and the United Kingdom ambassador to South Korea, Colin Crooks, as reported by the South Korean Navy. Authorities highlighted that the activity is part of a broader cooperation process.
The industrial context shows that South Korea seeks to position itself with its KSS-III model in the competition to supply 12 new attack submarines to the Royal Canadian Navy, a program intended to replace the current Victoria-class. In May 2025, South Korean companies confirmed that the project has government backing, with the aim of expanding the presence of South Korean military equipment among new global operators. In that process, Japanese Taigei-class proposals, Spanish S-80 Plus, French Scorpène and U212/214 models offered by the German company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems were also evaluated.
At the beginning of 2026, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems announced that it will expand its proposal to supply Type 212CD submarines to Canada, negotiating agreements with Norwegian and German companies to make its offer more competitive. The company’s director, Oliver Burkhard, stated that the talks include not only the construction of the vessels, but also areas such as rare earths and artificial intelligence, components considered relevant by Ottawa. The process continues after the preselection in 2025 of the South Korean KSS-III and the German Type 212CD models, leaving out proposals from Saab, Naval Group and Navantia.
South Korea has strengthened its industrial campaign in recent months, including the signing of an official document at the end of last year between the ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Industry, together with the Navy and the companies Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which formalizes state support for the bid. The total competition for the submarine contract is estimated at approximately 60 trillion won (40 billion dollars), a figure that illustrates the scale of the program for the participating companies.
The joint exercise between the South Korean submarine and the Royal Canadian Navy thus takes place in a scenario where operational, diplomatic and industrial interests converge. The deployment of the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho will allow South Korea to showcase long-range capabilities, while Canada continues advancing in its evaluation of alternatives to modernize its submarine fleet, a decision that will have strategic and economic impact over the coming decades.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
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