Hanwha Ocean deepens US ties and eyes Saudi submarine prospect after Canada setback
The Republic of Korea Navy’s KSS-III submarine, Dosan Ahn Changho, travelled 14,000km to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, as part of Hanwha Ocean’s pitch to meet requirements for Canada’s Patrol Submarine Project. (Photo: Hanwha Ocean)
Hanwha Ocean is deepening ties with the US and eyeing a submarine opportunity in Saudi Arabia, as South Korea looks to convert its Canadian defeat into export momentum.
Hanwha Ocean is deepening its relationship with the US and is positioning itself for a possible submarine order from Saudi Arabia.
The South Korea’s shipbuilder has been seeking to recover from its failure to win Canada’s next-generation submarine competition after Canada selected Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as its preferred bidder for the programme in July 2026.
TKMS won the bid despite Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III design reaching the final round ahead of competitors from France, Japan, Sweden and Spain. Hanwha Ocean remains the reserve option should Ottawa fail to conclude terms with TKMS.
Closing the technology gap
Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with
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