South Korea is pitching Canada on a host of new military equipment deals, pointing out that the Asian nation can not only deliver defence systems quickly but that it is a trustworthy ally.
In Europe, there is a new effort underway to buy more military equipment from domestic or non-American sources to reduce reliance on a country run by an increasingly erratic president.
A delegation of a dozen South Korean defence industry and government officials visited Ottawa on March 5 and March 6, with proposals to provide the Canadian Forces with a variety of new equipment, including howitzers, training aircraft, rocket launchers and submarines.
The pitch included promises of significant benefits for Canadian industry as well as a secure supply chain.
Retired South Korean Admiral Steve Jeong, vice-president of Hanwha Ocean, said the company’s KS-III submarine now in service meets all of Canada’s requirements. “Once the contract is signed, we can deliver in six years,” he told the Ottawa Citizen.
The South Korean submarines, three of which are already built, can operate underwater for more than three weeks, without having to surface, he added. In addition, the boats have a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, Jeong said. Those capabilities would make them valuable for Arctic operations.
Maintenance facilities would be established in Canada, and unlike with U.S. weapon systems, the South Koreans would provide Canada with total access to the onboard technology. In addition, Hanwha has already been signing alliances with Canadian firms for potential work on the proposal.
Posted by John3262005