Canada Nears Largest Submarine Procurement, Choosing Between German and South Korean Bids

Canada is set to select a preferred supplier within 30 days for a new submarine programme that could become the country’s biggest defence procurement ever. Two qualified candidates are Germany’s TKMS, offering the Type 212CD design, and South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, proposing the KSS‑III. The acquisition aims to replace an aging fleet and provide capabilities to patrol the Atlantic, Pacific and increasingly contested Arctic waters, where Russian activity is rising.

Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr said the decision will be made soon and will lead to detailed negotiations, but it does not yet constitute a final contract. The choice will shape Canada’s strategic ties with European and Asian shipbuilding industries and expand its naval presence across three oceans.