The country sent a delegation to Canada to pitch itself as a reliable source of military equipment
South Korea is pitching Canada on a host of new military equipment deals, pointing out that the Asian nation can not only deliver defence systems quickly but that it is a trustworthy ally.
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In Europe, there is a new effort underway to buy more military equipment from domestic or non-American sources to reduce reliance on a country run by an increasingly erratic president.
A delegation of a dozen South Korean defence industry and government officials visited Ottawa on March 5 and March 6, with proposals to provide the Canadian Forces with a variety of new equipment, including howitzers, training aircraft, rocket launchers and submarines.
The pitch included promises of significant benefits for Canadian industry as well as a secure supply chain.
Retired South Korean Admiral Steve Jeong, vice-president of Hanwha Ocean, said the company’s KS-III submarine now in service meets all of Canada’s requirements. “Once the contract is signed, we can deliver in six years,” he told the Ottawa Citizen.
The South Korean submarines, three of which are already built, can operate underwater for more than three weeks, without having to surface, he added. In addition, the boats have a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, Jeong said. Those capabilities would make them valuable for Arctic operations.
Some European nations have already turned to South Korea to supply military equipment because of ongoing problems with ordering from the U.S. or because of the effectiveness of the systems and speed in which they can be delivered.
South Korea is supplying Poland with more than $10 billion worth of howitzers, light attack aircraft, missile systems and tanks. It is also supplying Romania with more than $1 billion worth of howitzers. The deals include arrangements for the South Koreans to set up production lines in those countries to promote local jobs.
South Korea developed its own robust defence industry after being hit by rising prices and unreasonable demands linked to U.S.-produced equipment. “We had the same problems with the Americans,” said Jeong. “For our navy everything depended on the Americans but America kept raising the price. So we got upset (and) we developed on our own.”
Canadian defence industry officials had previously warned Jody Thomas, then the deputy minister at the Department of National Defence, and Bill Matthews, then deputy minister at the procurement department, about the potential dangers of U.S.-controlled technology and the lack of Canadian content onboard the CSCs. But those concerns were dismissed by department officials.
Instead, the Liberal government and military have doubled down on ordering U.S.-supplied equipment. In 2023, it ordered almost $30 billion in new military systems, most of those exclusively from American firms. That included an $8-billion deal with Boeing for the purchase of new surveillance aircraft. Previously, Liberal cabinet ministers had claimed Boeing was not an industrial partner that could be trusted. Another $2.5 billion is being spent to purchase drones from a U.S. firm.
The Liberal government had hoped the deals would placate American politicians who raised concerns Canada was not spending enough on defence. But the deals did not alter that criticism and Trump has only increased his threats against Canada.
The Canadian military leadership is close to their U.S. counterparts and is reluctant to shift its focus from America. Some retired Canadian Forces senior officers, such as former chief of the defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier, have voiced support for a Canada that is integrated more closely with the U.S. On Feb. 15, Hillier went on the social media website X to express his support for Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary’s proposal for a common dollar, integrated border and immigration requirements with the U.S.
But retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman has warned that Canada is under attack from the Americans.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe