Canada selects German shipbuilder TKMS for new submarine fleet

Canada announced that German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has been chosen as the preferred supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, a program to procure up to 12 new submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy. The decision, unveiled by Prime Minister Mark Carney, initiates negotiations and includes South Korean firm Hanwha Ocean as a reserve supplier.

The partnership will pair TKMS’s 212CD submarine design with CAE’s simulation‑based training and sustainment ecosystem, aiming to deliver advanced capability, faster operational readiness and a long‑term industrial footprint for Canadian firms. The project is expected to expand Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt from roughly 6,500 to about 9,500 military and civilian staff over the next decade, adding significant infrastructure, training facilities and support jobs. The new submarines will replace the ageing Victoria‑class fleet and enhance Canada’s maritime sovereignty and NATO alignment.

The procurement represents one of the largest defence acquisitions in Canadian history, linking Canadian industry with European defence markets and reinforcing strategic ties with Germany and Norway through the common‑design programme.