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The Royal Canadian Navy is sailing into new waters with the purchase of up to 12 submarines of a type yet to sail.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced July 6 in Halifax that Canada will purchase the Type 212CD submarine from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in what he says is the largest military procurement in Canadian history.
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The announcement means that Canada will become the largest operator of the yet-to-be-proven boat.
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“The TKMS platform is optimized for Arctic waters and fully NATO interoperable, allowing it to communicate seamlessly, share intelligence, and carry out joint missions,” Carney said. “The submarine is proven and capable. It is used widely by our allies.”
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The first TKMs 212CD is not currently used by any countries. Two are in the process of being built and the first is expected to be in the water in 2029.
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The boat is based on a much older design, the Type 212 sub built for the German and Italian navies from 1998 to 2017. The new submarine, however, will be more larger and advanced, with a newly designed hull to defeat sonar.
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That yet untested design could see various problems emerge as it is common for the first of the class ships and subs to face a variety of challenges once they are operational.
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But Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defence procurement, said in Victoria, BC July 6 that Canada is confident that TKMS can deliver the new fleet. “This is an evolution; it’s not completely new,” Fuhr said. “We are dealing with one of the most skilled builders on the planet.”
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TKMS is considered the world’s largest builder of non-nuclear submarines.
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Germany and Norway are each ordering six of the subs with Canada to receive the lion’s share of as many as 12 boats.
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No actual cost was provided for the procurement but some estimates put the final bill at $100 billion when long-term maintenance and new infrastructure is considered.
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Government officials said Canada expects to receive the first submarine by 2033 and hopefully another three by 2034.
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Canada rejected the bid from South Korean company Hanwha Ocean which was offering the KSS-III submarine. Unlike the Type 212CD, the South Korean submarine is fully operational and in service.
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On May 23, a South Korean KSS-III submarine arrived in British Columbia as part of an effort to further defence relations, but also to market the high-tech boat in Canada’s competition.
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Canadian defence officials said speed of delivery was a major issue in the competition. “I need them yesterday,” Rear-Admiral David Patchell, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, said May 23 when asked when the navy would need new submarines.
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Only one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s current fleet of Victoria-class boats is operational.
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