Press Release
· Hanwha Group has formally launched its Canadian operations with the establishment of Hanwha Defence Canada, headquartered in Ottawa.
· Glenn Copeland has been appointed Managing Director and CEO, bringing senior leadership experience and deep familiarity with Canada’s defence and naval ecosystem.
· His appointment underscores Hanwha’s long-term commitment to Canada—and to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) as well as several upcoming projects for the Canadian Army—through experienced local leadership.
Hanwha Ocean, a maritime subsidiary of Hanwha Group, has named Mr. Glenn Copeland as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hanwha Defence Canada, its newly established office in Ottawa.
A former senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, Copeland will lead Hanwha Ocean’s expansion in Canada, overseeing defence and naval business activities as the company advances its participation in the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), for which Hanwha Ocean has been shortlisted as one of the final contenders.
His appointment reflects Hanwha’s strategy of embedding experienced local leadership as it deepens long-term industrial and defence cooperation with Canada, reinforcing its commitment not only to the CPSP but also to sustained engagement with Canada’s naval, industrial, and security communities.
Prior to joining Hanwha, Copeland served as General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada, where he was involved in major programs, including the Halifax-class Frigate Modernization, and gained extensive experience in the business development and international export of the CMS-330 Combat Management System. He began his career in the Royal Canadian Navy, serving for 22 years.
In August 2025, the Government of Canada confirmed Hanwha Ocean as a qualified supplier for the CPSP, based on its KSS-III submarine design. The programme aims to deliver up to 12 submarines to modernise the Royal Canadian Navy and strengthen Canada’s long-term maritime sovereignty across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic.
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“I am honoured to take on this role at a pivotal moment for Canada’s naval defence. Hanwha brings proven expertise in defence and shipbuilding, and I believe the company is well positioned to make a lasting contribution to the Royal Canadian Navy and to Canada’s wider defence industrial base. What drew me to Hanwha was its clear commitment not only to meeting operational requirements, but to building long-term industrial and technological partnerships that deliver real benefits for Canada. Hanwha will be that trusted partner that Canada seeks.”
Glenn Copeland, Managing Director and CEO, Hanwha Defence Canada
About Hanwha Ocean
Hanwha Ocean is a leading global shipbuilder with more than four decades of experience in complex naval and commercial shipbuilding programs. Supported by its large-scale, integrated shipyard in Geoje, South Korea that spans 5-square kilometers and has more than 31,000 employees, the company combines proven industrial capacity with operational experience to deliver modern, in-service naval platforms backed by a resilient through-life support model.
Since its establishment in 1973, Hanwha Ocean has delivered more than 1,400 vessels worldwide, including over 110 naval ships, and has built deep expertise in the design, construction, and sustainment of submarines and surface combatants for the Republic of Korea Navy and other navies.
Hanwha is committed to establishing a robust and long-term partnership with the Government of Canada and Canadian industry in several strategic areas that will create jobs and economic growth, accelerate Canada’s defence capabilities, and enhance cooperation, partnership and supply chains between Canada and South Korea – a relationship that is becoming increasingly important, and one that supports the objectives of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Hanwha has teaming agreements, MOUs and contracts in place with more than a dozen Canadian companies, including Babcock Canada, Blackberry, CAE, Curtiss-Wright Indal Technologies, Des Nedhe Group, Gastops, Hepburn Engineering, J Squared Technologies, L3Harris Canada, ModestTree and PCL Construction.
About the KSS-III Canadian Patrol Submarine
Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III is a proven, in-service, in-active production submarine that fully meets and exceeds all requirements for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). These include superior underwater surveillance capability and deployability in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth, persistence and lethality to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all 3 of its oceans.
Importantly, Hanwha Ocean has the fastest delivery schedule, able to deliver four KSS-III submarines to fully replace Canada’s current Victoria Class fleet before 2035 if on contract in 2026. Earlier retirement of the Victoria Class fleet will result in estimated savings of approximately $1 Billion on maintenance and support costs. The additional 8 submarines will be delivered at a rate of one per year, meaning the entire fleet of 12 submarines will be delivered to Canada by 2043. No other option can come anywhere close to this delivery schedule.
