Joël Lightbound, Canada’s Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, and the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), have announced that the Government of Canada has identified German company Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Korean company Hanwha Ocean as the two qualified suppliers for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
In the third quarter of 2024, Public Service Procurement Canada (PSPC), on behalf of the Canadian Department of National Defence, issued a Request for Information (RFI) to industry stakeholders, announcing plans to procure up to twelve 3,000-ton conventionally powered submarines. Previous reports indicated that the submarine program was estimated to cost 60 trillion won (approximately US$43.242 billion), making it considered a mega-project. Delivery of the first Canadian Patrol Submarine is expected no later than 2035.
According to the plan, contracts for the construction of 12 submarines will be awarded before 2028. Delivery of the first Canadian Patrol Submarine is expected no later than 2035. The new submarine fleet will be deployable in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth, persistence and lethality as key capabilities.
Currently, the Royal Canadian Navy has four Victoria-class submarines. The first three were delivered between 2000 and 2003, and the fourth was not delivered until 2015 due to a fire during transportation. The existing Victoria-class submarine fleet is scheduled to be retired in the mid-2030s.
The new submarine fleet will be capable of deployment in the Arctic, boasting extended range and endurance, and will focus on providing three core capabilities: stealth, sustained combat capability, and strike capability. Canada plans to generate economic benefits for its maritime and defense industries through this submarine project during the fleet’s service life.
Canada intends to leverage work on the submarines to generate economic benefits for Canada’s marine and defence industry throughout the fleet’s operational life.
Seaspan, a long-standing sustainment partner for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), welcomed the announcement.
For more than 15 years, Seaspan has been providing maintenance, repair and sustainment support for the RCN’s current fleet of submarines. Through this work, Seaspan has built a large, highly skilled and experienced Canadian submarine workforce and a dedicated Canadian supply chain for servicing and outfitting naval submarines.
Seaspan has been proactively working with potential CPSP submarine builders and the Government of Canada to ensure a smooth transition between the existing and the new class of submarines upon their arrival in Canada.
“What is most critical for the success of this program is for the submarine builder to engage with the Canadian submarine enterprise on day one as a full strategic partner,” Dave Hargreaves, Senior Vice President – Strategy, Business Development and Communications, said. “Leveraging the submarine builder’s experience with international partnerships and establishing foreign in-service support capabilities will be essential for the success of this program. Combining that experience with Seaspan Shipyards, as a fully Canadian company, is the best path to both operational success for the Navy and broad, long-term economic and strategic benefits for Canada.”