Quebec’s minister of international relations visits Hanwha Ocean to explore industrial cooperation opportunities related to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project

Today, Hanwha Ocean was extremely pleased to host the Honourable Christopher Skeete, Quebec’s Minister of International Relations, at its shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. During his visit, Minister Skeete toured one of the largest and most advanced shipbuilding facilities in the world, including the active production line for the KSS-III submarine.

The visit by the Quebec delegation followed recent engagements and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signings between Hanwha Ocean and Quebec companies, including an MOU with MDA Space for satellite communications and defense space cooperation, and with Montréal International for cooperation on advanced manufacturing, as part of Hanwha’s broader approach to delivering long-term industrial benefits across Canada.

During the facility tour, Minister Skeete and the Quebec delegation observed Hanwha Ocean’s highly automated production lines, including robotic welding systems and smart-yard technologies, as well as an augmented-reality-enabled painting demonstration showcasing advanced digital manufacturing capabilities. The delegation also boarded and toured the KSS-III that was launched for the Republic of Korea Navy in October 2025 — the exact same submarine that Hanwha is proposing for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) — gaining firsthand insight into the submarine’s design, construction process, and interior systems. Hanwha Ocean highlighted its mature production capabilities and accelerated delivery capacity, underscoring its ability to deliver complex naval platforms on budget and on schedule.

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss potential pathways for long-term industrial collaboration, with a focus on how Quebec’s shipbuilding and defense industrial base could be integrated into Hanwha Ocean’s CPSP industrial framework. Discussions covered areas such as workforce integration, equipment localization, sustainment activities, and supply chain participation, leveraging the Lévis region’s marine cluster, home to Davie Shipbuilding, one of Canada’s major shipyards.

The visit by Minister Skeete is part of a series of official Canadian tours to Hanwha Ocean facilities, following earlier visits by the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, and the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s Secretary of State for Defence Procurement.

“Hanwha Ocean is committed to being a trusted partner that actively supports the ‘Buy Canadian’ policy in Quebec and across Canada. Our aim is to support local investment and job creation, while building long-term workforce capability through skills transfer and advanced technologies.”

In-Sub Jung, President and Head of Management Support Office, Hanwha Ocean

Hanwha Ocean

Hanwha Ocean is a leading global shipbuilder with more than four decades of experience in complex naval and commercial shipbuilding programs. Supported by its large-scale, integrated shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, that spans 5-square kilometers and has more than 31,000 employees, the company combines proven industrial capacity with operational experience to deliver modern, in-service naval platforms backed by a resilient through-life support model.

Since its establishment in 1973, Hanwha Ocean has delivered more than 1,400 vessels worldwide, and has built deep expertise in the design, construction, and sustainment of submarines and surface combatants for the Republic of Korea Navy. The company builds approximately 45 commercial and naval ships each year.

Hanwha Group, a Fortune 500 company, with more than 100,000 employees and 91 subsidiaries globally, is the Republic of Korea’s leading business group in the areas of defense, energy & ocean solutions, aerospace & mechatronics, finance, and retail & services.

For more information, visit: www.hanwhaocean.com

KSS-III Canadian Patrol Submarine 

Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III is a proven, in-service, in-active production submarine that fully meets and exceeds all requirements for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). These include superior underwater surveillance capability and deployability in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth, persistence and lethality to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all 3 of its oceans.

Importantly, Hanwha Ocean has the fastest delivery schedule, able to deliver four KSS-III submarines to fully replace Canada’s current Victoria Class fleet before 2035 if on contract in 2026. Earlier retirement of the Victoria Class fleet will result in estimated savings of approximately $1 billion on maintenance and support costs. The additional 8 submarines will be delivered at a rate of one per year, meaning the entire fleet of 12 submarines will be delivered to Canada by 2043. No other option can come anywhere close to this delivery schedule.

The KSS-III is South Korea’s latest evolution in conventional submarine technology—indigenously designed and constructed through decades of spiral development of a modern, conventional, ocean-going submarine. Over the last four decades, Hanwha Ocean has continued to evolve a proven MOTS submarine design culminating with the latest batch of the KSS submarine fleet.

Equipped with Lithium-ion batteries and an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, the KSS-III CPS offers the longest submerged endurance among conventional submarines in service – exceeding 7,000 nautical miles. It is outfitted with both a state-of-the-art sonar system and acoustic tiles developed in Korea, offering outstanding target detection capability and advanced stealth performance. The platform is fully optimized for Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Minelaying, and Special Operations Forces (SOF) support.

The KSS-III is recognized as the only proven, in-service submarine platform capable of fully supporting Canada’s ‘Three Ocean Strategy’ — ensuring operational reach, surveillance, and deterrence across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.

KSS-III is not an export-only model—it is the same class of submarine actively operated by the Republic of Korea Navy in real-world conditions. This ensures Canada will benefit from a proven platform, backed by an established supply chain and validated operational and maintenance data throughout the 30+ years of in-service support (ISS).

The KSS-III is the backbone of the ROK Navy submarine force. Acquisition of the KSS-III would allow Canada to be a member of the international KSS-III User Group which consists of a growing number of nations.

For more information, visit: www.KSS-III.ca