5 things to know about South Korea's military submarine pitch to Canada

Murray Brewster · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A brace of South Korean shipyards — usually fierce competitors — person teamed up connected a $20-billion to $24-billion connection to merchantability Canada 12 of the country's latest submarines, known arsenic the KSS-III. The transportation was made successful a detailed, unsolicited connection to the national government, delivered successful aboriginal March conscionable up of the national election.

CBC News was precocious granted exclusive entree to some Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) arsenic good arsenic elder South Korean defence officials.

Canada has asked shipyards worldwide for expressions of involvement successful gathering the country's caller submarine fleet. Companies successful Germany, Norway and Spain responded successful summation to the South Koreans. However, Hanwha Ocean and HHI went a measurement further and submitted a highly elaborate connection that not lone projected the merchantability of the KSS-IIIs, but the constitution of specialized attraction facilities connected some coasts.

Here are 5 things to cognize astir the KSS-III and the South Korean proposal.

Missile, torpedo capabilities

The KS-III is simply a diesel-electric onslaught submarine, susceptible of firing torpedoes and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). It displaces astir 3,600 tonnes. The South Korean Navy is readying to physique 9 of the boats successful 3 batches. A full of 3 submarines person been launched and 2 person entered service. They person an estimated velocity of astir 12 knots connected the aboveground and 20 knots portion submerged, with a cruising scope of 19,000 kilometres. CBC News saw the archetypal 2 of the 2nd batch of KSS-IIIs nether operation astatine the Hanwha Ocean yard.

Lithium-ion artillery powered

Rather than relying connected accepted lead-acid batteries, the KS-III draws its powerfulness from lithium-ion batteries, which were developed by Samsung SDI. Hanwha Ocean officials successful a inheritance briefing assertion the caller batteries let for greater cruising velocity and longer submerged times. The institution claims the vessel tin stay underwater for much than 21 days, which would beryllium indispensable for Canada successful the Arctic. Korea is lone the 2nd state successful the satellite to powerfulness its subs with lithium-ion batteries. Japan was the first.

Systems developed extracurricular U.S.

Hanwha Ocean officials accidental the combat-management strategy that controls the KS-III is all-Korean-designed — a cardinal constituent fixed caller concerns expressed that the command-and-control strategy chosen for Canada's caller frigates is made successful the United States. They accidental Canada, should it acquisition the submarine, would person a prime of integrating its ain system, a foreign-purchased 1 oregon the existing Korean system. It could besides acquisition Korean-made torpedoes and missiles, alternatively than trust connected United States oregon European weapons.

WATCH | South Korea's transportation to Canada: 

Highly automated

Each of the KS-IIIs incorporated a precocious grade of automation and would run with a modular unit size of 33 sailors. Although, determination is country to embark arsenic galore arsenic 50 unit members. There are 3 decks, which Hanwha Ocean officials emphasized would let for mixed sex crews. The connection submitted to Ottawa includes a elaborate unit grooming program that would spot Canadian sailors fixed basal and tactical grooming successful Korea portion the boats are being constructed. The program would beryllium for a Canadian unit to sail the vessel and beryllium acceptable to behaviour operations astir immediately.

Delivery up of navy deadline

The Royal Canadian Navy has acceptable 2035 arsenic the deadline for transportation of its archetypal caller submarine to regenerate the aged Victoria class. Hanwha Ocean officials said Canada could person 4 submarines by that time, with the archetypal 1 delivered betwixt 2030 and 2032. The remainder would travel each mates of years astatine intervals acceptable by the Canadian government. The docket is provided a declaration is signed adjacent year. The connection besides includes the conception of constructing 1 oregon 2 attraction facilities successful Canada — possibly 1 connected each coast. But that would beryllium a determination of the Canadian authorities and the outgo would beryllium successful summation to the $20-billion to $24-billion archetypal acquisition of the boats. Hanwha Ocean officials said the deliveries would beryllium connected clip and connected fund with nary surprises.