Canada’s selection of TKMS for its new patrol submarines reflects rising Arctic competition
Canada, Germany and Norway strengthen defence cooperation as Type 212CD is named the preferred submarine for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. (Photo: TKMS)
The decision points to deepening NATO cooperation and mounting competition in the Arctic and North Atlantic, as Canada opts for a European-designed solution despite interest from South Korea.
Canada’s decision to select Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the preferred supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) has been billed by Ottawa as the largest defence procurement in the country’s history. But the choice, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on 6 July at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, reveals as much about where Canada expects the next contest for advantage to unfold as it does about fleet replacement.
In selecting the Type 212CD over Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III, Canada has tied its undersea warfare future to Germany and Norway, two allies with direct Arctic and North Atlantic exposure,
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