Submarine program review is underway by Canadian leaders
![Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Mélanie Joly, third from left, poses at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea on Nov. 24. Hanwha Ocean leaders and government officials from the two countries also joined her visit. [Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean]](https://cdn.newsarticleinsiders.com/news/photo/202511/3313_5326_3520.jpg)
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean announced on Nov. 24 that Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Mélanie Joly visited the shipbuilder’s Geoje shipyard at the southern part of the country.
It marked the second high-level Canadian government visit in less than a month as Ottawa evaluates contenders for its multibillion-dollar Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The visit follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s tour of the same facility on Oct. 30, demonstrating the growing interest among Canadian decision-makers in Hanwha Ocean’s Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine.
The submarine is the very model, which Korea is proposing for the CPSP, a procurement program estimated at nearly 60 trillion won ($41 billion).
Like Prime Minister Carney, Minister Joly toured the interior of the recently launched Jang Young-sil submarine and inspected the construction line where several Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarines are being built simultaneously, according to Hanwha Ocean.
Hanwha Ocean noted that her visit aimed to directly assess Hanwha Ocean’s production capacity, technological capabilities, and readiness to meet Canada’s operational and industrial requirements.
Minister Joly oversees Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the ministry responsible for national industrial strategy, supply chain resilience, technology investment, and job creation.
Under the Carney administration, ISED plays a central role in shaping Canada’s economic-security agenda.
Because the CPSP has been redefined not merely as a defense acquisition program but as a pillar of Canada’s broader industrial and economic-security strategy, Joly’s on-site inspection carries significant weight.
During the visit, she was briefed on Korea’s proposals for industrial participation, technology transfer, and long-term cooperation — key factors in Ottawa’s evaluation.
Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-chul and senior executives introduced the company’s CPSP proposal centered on the Jangbogo-III Batch-II platform.
During Prime Minister Carney’s earlier visit, he praised the company. Minister Joly similarly observed the simultaneous construction of multiple submarines, giving her a direct look at the shipbuilder’s production scale and schedule reliability, Hanwha Ocean said.
Observers point out that her visit reflects the Canadian government’s deeper scrutiny of the industrial, technological, and economic feasibility of each CPSP contender.
Canada is known to evaluate not only submarine performance but also domestic sustainment capability, long-term economic benefits, and opportunities for industrial growth when selecting major defense partners.
“Minister Joly’s visit signals that our proposal for the CPSP has officially entered a full-fledged competitive stage,” Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-chul said.
“Hanwha Ocean is committed not only to delivering the optimal solution for the Royal Canadian Navy’s operational needs but also to meeting Canada’s expectations for speed, scale, technology transfer, and supply-chain development. We aim to grow together as a trusted industrial partner.”