Ottawa: Canada is planning to purchase the ‘Type 212CD’ submarines intended to be acquired from Germany in two phases. The plan involves splitting the contract to purchase eight submarines in the first phase and the remaining four later. This topic came up during discussions held in Ottawa between representatives of the Canadian Defence Investment Agency, the German company TKMS, and the Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg.
Earlier, Prime Minister Mark Carney had announced the intention to acquire up to 12 submarines. However, since deliveries will only begin in the mid-2030s and stretch over several years, this step aims to provide future governments with the flexibility to decide. Behind this move is also an ongoing debate on whether cost-effective drone technology could be utilized in the future instead of crewed submarines.
Replacing the Royal Canadian Navy’s existing Victoria-class submarines with 12 new submarines is expected to cost between $20 billion and $24 billion. In addition, when factoring in over two decades of operation and maintenance, the total cost will exceed $100 billion. Cost reduction is also cited by Canada as a primary reason. However, the Navy maintains its position that 12 submarines are necessary to protect the country’s three ocean borders.
Meanwhile, German officials and TKMS are assessing whether a reduction in the number of submarines ordered by Canada would impact the promised $86 billion economic investment and around 400 local suppliers. The goal is to finalize the contract by the end of 2027. While defense experts suggest that purchasing all 12 submarines at once would be more economically advantageous, it is also noted that phased procurement would lighten the government’s immediate financial burden.
