South Korea Offers Submarines, Military Systems to Canada

4 weeks ago

South Korea is offering a range of defense systems to Canada to bolster its military arsenal amid Ottawa’s deteriorating relations with the world’s top weapons supplier, the US.

A delegation of 12 government and industry representatives from Seoul visited Canada last week to promote domestically developed submarines, training aircraft, howitzers, and rocket launchers to Canadian officials.

In addition, South Korea offered to support Canada’s defense industry by establishing local maintenance facilities and providing full access to onboard technology — something US suppliers typically do not offer.

One of the key products being presented is the KSS-III submarine, developed by Hanwha Ocean.

Proposed to the Polish Navy in 2023, the advanced submarine features an air-independent propulsion system and is armed with six 533.4mm tubes for launching torpedoes, missiles, and bottom mines.

Hanwha Vice President Steve Jeong stated that the submarine meets all of Canada’s operational needs and could be delivered within just six years of a contract signing.

‘Same Problem’

Canada is being encouraged to diversify its defense sources to reduce reliance on a single country.

Ottawa is currently in an apparent trade war with Washington, triggered by tariffs on key goods, further straining economic relations.

Some analysts have suggested canceling key acquisitions, such as the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets worth 19 billion Canadian dollars ($14.2 billion), out of concerns about being too dependent on the US for future upgrades.

Jeong shared that South Korea faced a similar challenge in the past, leading to the development of a “powerful defense industry” to lessen its reliance on American systems.

“We had the same problems with the Americans. For our navy, everything depended on the Americans, but America kept raising the price. So we got upset (and) we developed on our own,” he explained.

https://defence.m5dergi.com/one-cikan/south-korea-offers-submarines-military-systems-to-canada/

French ready to offer Rafale fighter jet to Canada; other alternatives to F-35 available

At this point, Canada is only committed to buying 16 F-35s built in the U.S., and the prime minister has ordered a review of what other options might be available.

By David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen Published Apr 11, 2025 Last updated 1 day ago

Canada plans to spend $19 billion on the F-35 stealth fighter, which is built in the United States. But now Canada and some other nations that have been considering the F-35 are having second thoughts because of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump has upended the international order, rewarding Russia and threatening allies, including Canada.

The purchase of the F-35 carries significant risk in that the Americans control many aspects of the aircraft, defence analysts say. Allies who get on the wrong side of Trump could find themselves cut off from parts and upgrades, making their expensive fighter jets worthless.

…Britain, Italy and Japan have joined forces to develop what they are calling the Global Combat Air Program. This sixth generation fighter would be designed to replace Japan’s F-2 fighter and the Eurofighter now flown by the United Kingdom and Italy. The plan would be to have the advanced aircraft flying by 2027 and in service by 2035. The new plane would be supplemented by drones and would also have an option of being pilotless.

Flight Global aviation magazine has reported that Australia has expressed interest in joining the program.

On March 25, British Member of Parliament David Chadwick asked whether the United Kingdom had considered inviting Canada to contribute to the Global Combat Air Program.

Maria Eagle, Britain’s Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, responded that the program was open to Canada’s participation.

https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/french-rafale-fighter-jet-canada