Canada

Canada is facing an existential threat right now. While I agree that a sub building program is ultimately where we want to end up, we don't have time or finance for that as well as the dozens of other procurements our military is desperate for. The KSS-III batch 2 would be a perfect fit for Canada in a few ways. Firstly, it's a tested design and is in production. This could mean our forces could train immediately on in-service ROKN boats while new hulls are under construction. That could very much reduce time to deployment from the decade or so we'd need for a fully Canadian program to maybe 2 years. Secondly, the KSS-III is one of the very few conventional boats with VLS capability. It is paired with the Hyunmoo 4-4 ballistic missile, which has been successfully launched from the submerged boat. Since the only real defence Canada will ever have against American aggression is a nuclear deterrent, that capability could be key to deployment. The final point I would make in favour of the KSS-III is the size of the hull. It is already one of the largest conventional boats around. It would be a very solid design platform for an expansion to a nuclear powered platform in the future. That could represent a possible partnership between Canada and ROK going forward as our democracies look to survive against the authoritarian superpowers we are surrounded by.