A 3,000-ton South Korean naval submarine is set to embark on its first-ever trans-Pacific voyage to participate in joint exercises with Canada this June. This initiative aims to strengthen maritime security cooperation and boost the arms industry, according to a Navy announcement on Wednesday.
The ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho’s planned 14,000-kilometer journey coincides with a South Korean consortium competing against Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for a significant contract to supply 12 naval submarines to the Canadian navy.
The submarine will travel from Jinhae, South Korea, to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to engage in the combined drills scheduled for June. The journey will include stops in Guam and Hawaii for refueling. Two Canadian submariners will join the South Korean crew for the final leg of the trip from Hawaii to Victoria.
Upon completion, this voyage will mark the longest distance ever traveled by a South Korean submarine.
Following the joint drills with Canada, the submarine is also slated to participate in the US-led multinational Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in Hawaii in late June before returning to South Korea.
To commemorate the departure, the Navy held a ceremony Wednesday at the Submarine Force Command, located at a major naval base in Jinhae, approximately 310 km southeast of Seoul. The ceremony was attended by key officials, including the vice naval chief and the chief of the state arms procurement agency, according to the Navy.
Also present at the event were foreign dignitaries, including Canadian Ambassador to South Korea Philippe Lafortune and British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks, the Navy added.
South Korea is actively pursuing this major submarine contract, which is estimated to be worth around 60 trillion won ($40 billion).
