South Korea submarine in Canada in sales pitch to supply Canada's fleet

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VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) — The flagship of South Korea’s submarine fleet is docked in Canada's Pacific-coast province of British Columbia where it’s serving as a floating floor model in the Asian nation’s pitch for Canada to buy 12 like it.

The crew of the ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho, a KSS-III-class diesel-electric submarine, received an official welcome at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on Monday, having arrived on Saturday ahead of exercises with the Canadian and other navies.

Hanwha Ocean, which built the submarine, is one of two bidders for the multibillion-dollar contract to supply Canada’s new sub fleet.

Glenn Copeland, managing director and president of Hanwha Defense Canada, said it was good timing, with Canada expected to announce the winning bid by the end of next month.

Also seeking the contract is ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, in a bid that includes Germany and Norway, but Copeland said the KSS-III has several advantages.

“I consider this the best conventional submarine that is available around the globe today,” he said.

The submarine meets all the requirements of the Royal Canadian Navy, from range to endurance to size to weapons, among other factors, Copeland said.

“We feel very good about our chances,” he said. “Right now, if you asked anybody, they would say it’s 50-50. But there is something we have going for ourselves right now.”

The submarine arrived in Esquimalt after a voyage that lasted nearly two months, covering almost 15,000 kilometers (9,321 miles) and setting a record for the South Korean submarine force by completing the first-ever crossing of the Pacific.