The Republic of Korea Navy’s KSS-III submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho arrived at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 23, completing the first trans-Pacific voyage by a South Korean submarine.
The milestone deployment marks the longest voyage ever undertaken by a Republic of Korea Navy submarine. The 3,000-ton-class submarine sailed approximately 14,000 kilometers from Jinhae Naval Base in South Korea to Canada’s west coast, passing through Guam and Hawaii before reaching Victoria.
ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho departed Jinhae on March 25 to take part in planned naval cooperation activities and combined training with the Royal Canadian Navy. During the trans-Pacific deployment, the submarine made logistics stops in Guam and Hawaii. From Hawaii, two Royal Canadian Navy submariners embarked on the submarine for the final stretch to Victoria, allowing Canadian personnel to observe KSS-III operations at sea.
One of the Royal Canadian Navy submariners who embarked on the submarine described the experience in positive terms. “Being on a state-of-the-art submarine like this has really shown us that we have a great future ahead. It’s not going to be a steep learning curve. It’s going to be a very easy transition. Everything felt so familiar.”
On the way to Canada, the submarine also demonstrated communications interoperability with the Royal Canadian Navy. According to the ROK Navy Submarine Force Command, ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho successfully communicated with Maritime Forces Pacific on May 18 using the combined C4I command-and-control system installed on board. It was the first time a South Korean-built submarine had established communications with Canada’s Pacific naval command through a combined C4I system, demonstrating the ROK Navy’s ability to extend command-and-control connectivity beyond its traditional U.S.-centered alliance network to other key partners.
The submarine was accompanied by the ROK Navy frigate ROKS Daejeon, a 3,100-ton-class Daegu-class frigate. Upon arrival at Esquimalt, the crews of ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-083) and ROKS Daejeon (FFG-823) rendered naval honors to Canadian and South Korean officials at the pier, including the commander of Canada’s Pacific naval forces and South Korea’s ambassador to Canada.
The arrival carries operational and strategic significance. While South Korean submarines have previously sailed as far as Hawaii, this is the first time a ROK Navy submarine has crossed the Pacific Ocean to reach North America. The deployment demonstrates the long-range endurance of South Korea’s domestically built submarine force and provides a showcase of the KSS-III platform in a blue-water operating environment.
