Canada to Procure Up to Twelve Type 212CD Submarines

Canada will procure up to twelve new German-built Type 212CD submarines as part of a major modernization of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this.

The new submarines will replace the aging Victoria-class fleet under the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), a program aimed at renewing Canada’s undersea warfare capabilities.

The Type 212CD was developed by the shipbuilding company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the navies of Norway and Germany.

Carney emphasized that acquiring these submarines would be the largest defense procurement in Canada’s history.

“It will deliver enormous, long-lasting benefits for Canadian industry and workers. Together with our German and Norwegian allies, we will build quickly and at scale to expand our strategic capabilities and protect our sovereignty,” the Canadian Prime Minister noted.

Germany’s Ministry of Defense stated that Canada’s accession to the existing German-Norwegian naval partnership offers significant operational and economic advantages.

“This provides economies of scale, significantly reduces life-cycle costs, and ensures maximum interoperability within NATO,” the Ministry emphasized.

The German submarine’s competitor in the Canadian procurement competition was the KSS-III, developed by the South Korean company Hanwha.

Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Germany and Norway were prepared to give up their production slots if Canada decided to procure the Type 212CD submarines.

TKMS is prepared to deliver four submarines to the Royal Canadian Navy by 2036. The agreement also includes extensive defense and industrial cooperation between the parties.

The Type 212CD submarine is a further development of the Type 212A design. It has a submerged displacement of 2,800 tonnes and measures 73 meters in length with a beam of 10 meters.