Hanwha Ocean to join Canadian patrol submarine project

South Korea's shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean Co. secured a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with four Canadian submarine tech firms at Deep Blue Forum 2023 in Ottawa.

The company announced on Monday it participated in the forum for the Canadian marine and shipbuilding industry and inked MOUs with CAE, J-Squared Technologies, Modest Tree, and Des Nedhe. They are key players in simulator technology, electronic componentry, virtual reality (VR) training systems, and submarine-related construction and logistics.

With these MOUs, Hanwha Ocean is looking to gain a strategic foothold in Canada's defense sector, particularly in the current initiative to modernize its naval fleet.

"The new partnerships signify a shift towards more collaborative defense relations with Canada's burgeoning technology sector," Jeong Sung Kyun, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Naval Ship International Business of Hanwha Ocean said. 

The Deep Blue Forum, now in its fourth year, is Canada's premiere event for submarine innovation, attracting military, governmental, and industry experts to explore the latest advancements in underwater defense.

These developments come as Canada is actively seeking to update its naval capabilities by replacing its aging Victoria-class submarines with newer models from international sources.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com