Hanwha stated the KSS-III CPS would provide “stealth, persistence and lethality to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all 3 of its oceans.” The company said four submarines could be delivered before 2035 if contracted in 2026, fully replacing the current Victoria Class fleet and saving an estimated $1 billion in maintenance costs.
According to Hanwha, a further eight submarines would be delivered at a rate of one per year, enabling Canada to complete a 12-vessel fleet by 2043. The company stressed that “no other option can come anywhere close to this delivery schedule.”
Hanwha also highlighted its intention to establish a “robust and long-term partnership with the Government of Canada and Canadian industry.” It noted existing MOUs and Teaming Agreements with over a dozen Canadian companies and said cooperation would create jobs, strengthen defence and industrial supply chains, and support Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The KSS-III CPS is equipped with lithium-ion batteries and an Air Independent Propulsion system, which Hanwha says gives it the longest submerged endurance of any conventional submarine. The platform is optimised for Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, minelaying, and Special Operations Forces support.
Hanwha stressed that the KSS-III is “not an export-only model” but the same class of submarine currently operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. It added that Canada’s acquisition would provide access to a proven platform with established supply chains and membership of the growing international KSS-III User Group.
