South Korea, Canada Discuss Defense Ties, Submarine Project

SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held a phone call with his Canadian counterpart, David McGuinty, on Thursday and underscored the commitment to expanding bilateral defense ties amid South Korea's push to win Canada's submarine procurement project, the defense ministry said.

During the talks, Ahn expressed hope that the two countries would strengthen solidarity as key partners across a wide range of areas, including the submarine project, security and defense cooperation, and broader industrial collaboration.

The ministers agreed that their joint exercise last month helped further enhance interoperability between their navies, while reaffirming their shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Ahn also praised the port visit of the 3,000-ton ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine to Esquimalt in Victoria last month, which marked the first trans-Pacific voyage by a South Korean submarine, the ministry said.

The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) is a major procurement program involving up to 12 diesel-electric submarines, which is estimated at up to 60 trillion won (US$39.7 billion), including construction, maintenance, repair and overhaul.

A consortium of Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has been shortlisted for the project and is competing with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Canada is expected to announce its preferred bidder later this month.