Seoul: The Navy invited a Canadian submariner aboard its 3,000-ton submarine during recent maritime drills, officials said Thursday, as South Korea seeks to win a major deal to supply submarines to Canada.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Canadian submariner joined South Korean troops on the ROKS Ahn Mu for a six-day exercise that concluded Wednesday as part of the Silent Shark drills. This combined anti-submarine warfare exercise was jointly held by South Korea and the United States near Guam.

It marked the first time a foreign submariner boarded South Korea's homegrown 3,000-ton submarine. Submariners from overseas have previously trained alongside South Korean service members on smaller 1,200-ton and 1,800-ton submarines during multinational drills.

The latest move came as South Korea seeks to win the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. Under this project, Ottawa plans to acquire up to 12 submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy to upgrade its submarine fleet, aiming to receive the first new vessel by no later than 2035.

South Korean defense firm Hanwha Ocean Co. was shortlisted as one of the two "qualified suppliers," or preferred bidders, along with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for the landmark contract.