Overview
- Prime Minister Mark Carney, Defence Minister David McGuinty and Vice‑Admiral Angus Topshee inspected Hanwha Ocean’s facility in Geoje with South Korea’s prime minister and capped the visit with a new defence partnership focused on training and interoperability.
- Vice‑Admiral Topshee said the navy is not looking to have the new fleet built in Canada due to limited domestic capacity and urgency, while emphasizing that maintenance hubs and skilled support jobs would be established on both coasts.
- Hanwha is pitching the KSS‑III with lithium‑ion batteries and vertical launch tubes, promising the first sub in 2032, four delivered by 2035 and roughly one per year thereafter, with a 12‑boat price estimate of $20–24 billion before sustainment infrastructure.
- Germany’s TKMS is offering the 212CD, a new design not yet in the water, saying it can deliver the first boat before 2035 but on a slower cadence than Hanwha, while highlighting NATO interoperability and a longstanding track record.
- A recent independent report warned Hanwha’s design may require Canadian modifications and flagged in‑service support questions, as the Defence Investment Agency steers the file and funding, job creation and sustainment plans remain under review.