Canada downselects tkMS, Hanwha designs for next submarine programme

Canada's Victoria-class SSK HMCS Corner Brook sails in the Arctic during Operation ‘Nanook' in 2007. Three-ocean presence – particularly in the Arctic – is a core capability requirement for Canada's future submarine. (Department of National Defence, Canada)

Canada has downselected Germany's thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) and South Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co Ltd (Hanwha) “as the two qualified suppliers for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP)”, the government's Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said in a 26 August statement.

Prior to the downselection decision, five industry designs were on the table. Alongside tkMS's Type 212 Common Design (T212CD) and Hanwha's KSS-III Batch 2, submissions included Naval Group's Blackfin Barracuda, Navantia's S-80 Plus, and Saab's oceanic/extended-range A26.

The decision was informed by an assessment of CPSP requirements that include construction and delivery timelines for the new submarine flotilla, the statement added.

PSPC confirmed in its statement that the CPSP programme intends to deliver a new class of up to 12 diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), replacing the four in-service Victoria-class SSKs.

As defined in Canada's latest defence strategy document – Our North, Strong and Free: a Renewed Vision for Canada's Defence , published in May 2024 – Canada has a strategic requirement for naval presence, including underwater, in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. A force level of up to 12 boats would give the RCN operational capacity to have one boat available for deployment in each ocean at any one time.

To support its national security requirements, Canada needs defence equipment able to maintain operational readiness, with the RCN needing to secure Canada's extensive coastline and provide “superior underwater surveillance capability” to protect the country's Arctic sovereignty, the statement said.