The Republic of Korea’s Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (KSS-III, 3,000-ton class) submarine departed Jinhae Naval Base on March 25, 2026.
Scheduled to arrive at CFB Esquimalt (Esquimalt Harbour) in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 23, 2026, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho’s 14,000-kilometre trans-Pacific blue-water voyage, included stops in Guam and Hawaii.
Over the course of its journey, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho effectively demonstrated the operational range, endurance, and self-sufficiency that Canada requires for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project for which it is being proposed.
Joining the crew of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho were Lieutenant Commander Brittany Brousseau and Petty Officer Jake Dickson of the Royal Canadian Navy. Both RCN officers participated in communications and training activities at sea.
On May 18, 2026, the ROK Navy announced that the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho successfully established communications with the Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Fleet using its onboard combined C4I system under simulated war-time conditions. Through successful communication, the ROK and RCN directly verified interoperability between the two navies in an operational environment.
This joint operation demonstrated that Korea’s submarine communications network can directly communicate with key NATO allied nations such as Canada.
It verified practical combined operational capability while showcasing the advanced communications technology of Korean submarines to the international community.
The operation also underscored the potential for deeper Canada-Korea maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific as well as in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
The exercise marks a significant deepening of the Canada-Korea bilateral defense relationship and builds on the Canada-Republic of Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership announced by Prime Minister Carney and President Lee in October 2025.
This framework was specifically designed to advance military-to-military interoperability between the two allied nations and is anchored in the trust between two countries whose military forces have fought together as allies since the Korean War.
Captain Lee Byung-il, commanding officer of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, stated:
“This successful communications exchange will demonstrate the capability of our Navy to expand its operational reach into multinational combined operations, including with NATO allies like Canada. Based on robust interoperability, we will continue to demonstrate the exceptional mission capabilities of Republic of Korea submarines.”
