German firm TKMS and Korean defence prime Hanwha Ocean have been shortlisted as potential suppliers for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
As per a recent Government of Canada press statement, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Hanwha have been identified as the two “qualified suppliers” for the CPSP, Canada’s programme to acquire up to 12 submarines to boost its maritime defence capabilities.
Under the CPSP timeline the first of the new submarines is expected to be delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) by 2035 at the latest.
As per the statement: “The RCN requires a new submarine fleet that will be deployable in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth, persistence and lethality as key capabilities.
“The future Canadian Patrol Submarine will employ a unique combination of these attributes to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all three of Canada’s oceans.”
Having produced its two-strong shortlist, the Canadian authorities will now conduct in-depth engagements with both named qualified suppliers “to continue to advance the procurement process.”
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, said the CPSP represented “an opportunity to work with allies and strengthen our defence industrial capacity.”
He added: “This is a critical step toward equipping the Royal Canadian Navy with next-generation capabilities our Navy needs to protect our sovereignty and support our allies.”
Public Services and Procurement Canada had previously issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the CPSP which ran between September 2024 and February 2025.
The RFI, which garnered 25 responses, sought input from industry on topics such as capabilities, in-service support, training and infrastructure for the new submarine fleet, as well as potential partnerships with Canadian industry.
The new boats will replace Canada’s four ageing Victoria-class submarines, which were acquired from the Royal Navy towards the end of the 1990s. Three came into active service in the mid-2000s; the fourth in 2015.
- You can read more details on the Government of Canada website