The Director of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Canadian Deputy Minister of Defence discuss cooperation on defense industries, including submarines during Seoul visit.
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The Director of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Canadian Deputy Minister of Defence meet on September 7/8th to discuss cooperation on defense industries, including submarines.
This meeting took place while Vice-Minister Baek was visiting Korea to attend the Seoul Defense Dialogue.
The day before, she visited Hanwha Ocean Shipyard in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do, and directly discussed Korea's shipbuilding industry and submarine construction capabilities.
At this meeting, Director Seok and Vice-Minister Baek discussed the possibility of cooperation by covering various agendas, including the submarine project.
At the luncheon meeting held prior to the meeting, representatives from the governments of both countries and Korean defense industry companies, including Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Rotem, KAI, LIG Nex1, and Poongsan, participated and discussed key defense industry cooperation plans and areas in which both countries can provide support.
In particular, Chairman Seok expressed his gratitude for the inclusion of a consortium of Korean companies on the shortlist for the Canadian submarine project, and expressed his hope that this would serve as an opportunity to solidify the strategic partnership between the two countries and take industrial cooperation to the next level.
The Hanwha Ocean-HD Hyundai Heavy Industries OneTeam consortium, along with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), has been shortlisted for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). The Canadian government is expected to select a final bidder as early as next year after further evaluation.
Vice-Minister Beck also expressed his hope to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields to support the strategic partnership with Korea.
Based on the cooperation projects discussed during this meeting, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to hold a Korea-Canada Defense Industry Cooperation Conference and a roadshow introducing defense companies from both countries in the second half of this year.
Noah Note: Minister Beck is in South Korea for the Seoul Defence Dialogue running today and tomorrow. She is also expected to meet with several other counterparts, including those from the Phillipines and Japan whole there.
As we draw closer to a CPSP selection we should expect to see more trips like this across the board. Its fun y that the Korean front has actually been quiet the last little bit. We used to have meetings and bilateral visits what felt like once a month, if not more esrlier this year.
Of course there is a lot on the table beyond CPSP that is also worth discussing. Canada and Korea are also looking at signing an agreement to foster technology and training cooperation in the shipbuilding industry.
Theres also been efforts this year to sign something related to Supply Chain Cooperation and Joint-Management plans for common platforms. That comes also from a meeting back in March, which you can read about here.
Next month will have the Canada-Korea defence roadshow, mentioned at the end of the article. That will provide an opportunity for Canadian and Korean companies to exchange and network with each other. I dont have many details on this event sadly. Either way I support it, and hope it leads to other similar roadshow with other countries in the future.
Networking events are always great, especially ones like these with a singular focus on it, compared to networking one might see at a CANSEC or similar. Its a great opportunity for industry to connect directly with each other.
Prime Minister Carney will be in Korea at the end of next month for the APEC forum. That will be on the 31st of October to the 1st of November. Its safe to say thats likely when the Prime Minister will visit Geoje and take his official tour of the KSS-III.
I dont want to oversell visits like this, especially because it was already bound to happen thanks to the Seoul Defence Dialogue. However I also dont want to undersell it.
I think that comes a lot with people being unfamiliar with Mrs. Beck. A long-time public servant, she assumed the role of Deputy Minister last June. Before that she had served as Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence back in 2022.
Shes also served as Associate Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and has long had roles as part of Foreign Affairs, dating back to 2006.
She is certainly no lightweight and I have heard many a great thing about the work she does in the background, and to almost no credit by anyone around here. I have heard her praises constantly the last year shes been in the role.
So let's all give a big cheer to Mrs. Beck and the work she has done. She certainly seems to deserve it!