TKMS, which is majority-owned by German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp, is offering its 212CD class submarine model in the tender. The company is also supplying the 212CD to Norway’s navy under a joint modernisation initiative.
The 212CD submarine has a diamond-shaped design, a length of around 74 metres and is built with non-magnetic steel. TKMS hopes the model will become the new NATO standard, according to the report.
The Globe and Mail said Carney’s expected announcement would identify the preferred bidder for the contract to build the submarines. The report cited sources for the timing of the announcement and its link to the NATO summit.
Canada has been under pressure from the United States to increase defence spending. The country has reached NATO’s military spending target of 2% of gross domestic product earlier than originally planned.
NATO leaders have agreed to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defence and security-related investments by 2035. The submarine decision comes as Canada moves to strengthen its naval capabilities while aligning with broader alliance spending commitments.
The reported selection of TKMS would place the German shipbuilder at the centre of a major Canadian naval procurement programme. It would also connect Canada’s future submarine fleet with a design that TKMS is already delivering within NATO through the Norwegian programme.
Source: The Globe and Mail.
