Korean KSS-III Submarine Successfully Completing Operational and Communications Exercises With Royal Canadian Navy
Press Release
Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Successfully Completes Communications Interoperability Verification with the Royal Canadian Navy demonstrating ability to integrate with NATO allies like Canada
Dosan Ahn Chang-ho successfully exchanged communications with the Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Fleet using its onboard combined C4I system
May 21, 2026
The Republic of Korea’s Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (KSS-III, 3,000-ton class) submarine departed Jinhae Naval Base on March 25, 2026.
Scheduled to arrive at CFB Esquimalt (Esquimalt Harbour) in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 23, 2026, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho’s 14,000-kilometre trans-Pacific blue-water voyage, included stops in Guam and Hawaii.
Over the course of its journey, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho effectively demonstrated the operational range, endurance, and self-sufficiency that Canada requires for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project for which it is being proposed.
Joining the crew of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho were Lieutenant Commander Brittany Brousseau and Petty Officer Jake Dickson of the Royal Canadian Navy. Both RCN officers participated in communications and training activities at sea.
On May 18, 2026, the ROK Navy announced that the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho successfully established communications with the Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Fleet using its onboard combined C4I system under simulated war-time conditions. Through the successful communication, the ROK and RCN directly verified interoperability between the two navies in an operational environment.
This joint operation demonstrated that Korea’s submarine communications network can directly communicate with key NATO allied nations such as Canada.
It verified practical combined operational capability while showcasing the advanced communications technology of Korean submarines to the international community.
The operation also underscored the potential for deeper Canada-Korea maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific as well as in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
The exercise marks a significant deepening of the Canada-Korea bilateral defence relationship and builds on the Canada-Republic of Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership announced by Prime Minister Carney and President Lee in October 2025.
This framework was specifically designed to advance military-to-military interoperability between the two allied nations and is anchored in the trust between two countries whose military forces have fought together as allies since the Korean War.
Captain Lee Byung-il, commanding officer of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, stated:
“This successful communications exchange will demonstrate the capability of our Navy to expand its operational reach into multinational combined operations, including with NATO allies like Canada. Based on robust interoperability, we will continue to demonstrate the exceptional mission capabilities of Republic of Korea submarines.”
About 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 and other navies.
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. 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.
Noah Note: This was always a weird one. Like, the KSS-III has link. Its communication system is French (Thales DiveSAT). It has already demonstrated the ability to operate within NATO Architecture.
It's likely on this front we will integrate our own solutions for communications and such regardless, and this is something that you wanna get out there, especially because it's one constant thing that gets brought up time and again despite it not making sense.
But yeah, there has never been concern on this front from the Navy. It isn't an issue.
I want the South Korean subs. We need a big stick up in the Artic. The VLS vertical launch system can launch from under water cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and Anti ship missiles and all the munitions can be gotten by South Korea. Their just as good as US. South Korea can also sell us a whole brigade of tracked heavy artillery. If we buy them they'll be in Canada in a month or two. We can get our first submarine by 2031. Their going to help us set up our own submarine building capability. We can build our last 4 subs in Canada. To many positives. I'll be very angry if we don't get the Korean subs.
Like others I am sure….I am left wondering if this is an additional crutch for the Gov’t to build the case for selecting the Korean boats over TKMS.