A Republic of Korea Navy submarine completed a voyage of more than 14,000 kilometres to dock at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt today, in what amounts to the most visible demonstration yet of Korea’s bid for Canada’s patrol submarine contract.
The vessel
The ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho is a KSS-III class submarine, the same platform Hanwha Ocean is proposing for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. It departed Jinhae Naval Base in South Korea on March 25 and made logistics stops in Guam and Hawaii before arriving in Victoria on May 23.
Two RCN submariners boarded the vessel in Hawaii and completed the final leg of the voyage with the Korean crew.
A Republic of Korea Navy frigate, ROKS Daejeon, completed the crossing as well. Both vessels will participate in joint exercises with the RCN at Esquimalt.
The platform
The KSS-III is a diesel-electric submarine that integrates both air-independent propulsion (AIP) and lithium-ion battery systems, a combination Hanwha says provides extended submerged endurance and operational flexibility compared to conventional diesel-electric designs. The class also incorporates acoustic quieting technologies and a combat system capable of deploying torpedoes and cruise missiles.
The Royal Canadian Navy’s stated requirements for CPSP include Arctic deployability with extended range and endurance, alongside stealth, persistence, and lethality across all three of Canada’s oceans. The two-month Pacific crossing covered more than 14,000 kilometres, a distance that speaks directly to the range requirement at the centre of the program.
The timing
The arrival comes as a preferred supplier announcement for CPSP contract negotiations is expected imminently. In August 2025, the Government of Canada shortlisted two bidders for the program: Hanwha Ocean and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
The Dosan Ahn Changho’s visit is the latest in a series of moves by Hanwha to build visibility ahead of the decision. In recent weeks, the company announced partnerships with Toronto-based AI and robotics firms ForceN and Astrus, and signed an MOU with Longueuil-based Reaction Dynamics, a company developing orbital launch systems. Those agreements sit under a venture investment platform Hanwha says is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, contingent on winning CPSP.
Hanwha has also announced teaming agreements, MOUs, and contracts with more than 70 Canadian companies and institutions, including CAE, MDA Space, AtkinsRealis, Algoma Steel, and Telesat.
The partnership angle
Korea’s ambassador to Canada, Lim Ki-mo, referenced the bilateral relationship dating to the Korean War and described CPSP as a foundation for deepening ties across government, defence, and industry.
What’s next
A preferred supplier selection would open formal contract negotiations, not conclude them. The complexity of a submarine acquisition means significant work remains between a supplier announcement and a signed contract.
Vanguard will continue to track the CPSP process as it develops.