South Korea has deployed the submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho across the Pacific for the first time, arriving at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on May 23, 2026, after a 14,000-kilometer voyage that directly supports Seoul’s bid for Canada’s future submarine fleet. The deployment demonstrated that the KSS-III class can sustain long-range operations across Indo-Pacific and Arctic-oriented theaters while integrating with allied naval forces, a critical factor as Canada searches for up to 12 new submarines under a program valued at up to CAD 80 billion. The patrol exposed Canadian personnel to the KSS-III during real operational conditions, including Pacific transit, typhoon exposure, anti-submarine warfare drills, and combined command-system integration with Canada’s Maritime Forces Pacific. Read full defense news at this link...
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| The deployment marked the first time a South Korean conventionally powered submarine completed a trans-Pacific crossing, and the first time a South Korean naval vessel achieved direct C4I command-system integration with Canada's Maritime Forces Pacific outside bilateral U.S. structures. (Picture source: Canadian Navy) |