The Defense Acquisition Agency has expressed respect for the results of the Canada Submarine Project (CPSP) announced by the Canadian government. The agency outlined its future strategies, including securing technological advantages through a major shift to defense AI and localization.
On July 7, Lee Yong-cheol, head of the Defense Acquisition Agency, stated, "The CPSP bidding process was a significant opportunity to confirm the technological capabilities of Korean submarines and the potential for defense cooperation between Korea and Canada." He added, "We will use the experiences and lessons learned from this competitive process as a stepping stone to further develop our large-scale defense export strategy and strengthen government-wide support."
On July 6, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the selection of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the preferred bidder for the CPSP project at the Halifax naval base in Nova Scotia.
Carney explained, "If negotiations with TKMS fail, Canada reserves the right to designate Hanwha Ocean, the secondary supplier, as the primary supplier and negotiate with them."
To secure the Canada submarine project, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries formed a unified team led by the Defense Acquisition Agency, with participation from the Ministry of National Defense, the Navy, and other relevant government departments, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Defense Acquisition Agency noted, "It is a significant achievement that South Korea, which previously imported submarine technology from Germany, competed on equal footing with the original submarine country in terms of performance, delivery, and all technical capabilities, demonstrating the remarkable growth of our defense technology."
Additionally, during the competitive process, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine demonstrated its long-range sailing capability, operational sustainability, and stability by crossing the Pacific to Canada. This has marked a significant step in establishing K-defense capabilities in the global defense market beyond Canada.
Looking ahead, the Defense Acquisition Agency stated, "We will strive to quickly advance the defense AI transformation to secure technological advantages and will do our utmost to enter major defense markets through groundbreaking localization strategies. We will also further develop the cooperative relationship formed with Canada through this process."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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