The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, or CPSP, calls for the acquisition of up to 12 diesel-powered submarines to replace Canada’s aging Victoria-class fleet. The total value of the project, including construction and 30 years of maintenance, repair and operations, is estimated at up to 60 trillion won.
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, or TKMS, are competing for the contract.
Canadian broadcaster CTV reported Monday that Defense Minister David McGuinty had played down the possibility of splitting the order between the two bidders.
“When you split any kind of fleet, it adds costs in many ways,” McGuinty said during a visit to Japan last week. “You have to maintain, sustain and support two different fleets, which creates more complexity for any country.”
“We are assessing all of these things, and we will know when the time comes,” he added.
Bloomberg previously reported that Canadian officials had discussed an unusual compromise under which German submarines could be deployed on the Atlantic coast and South Korean vessels on the Pacific coast.
CTV said the government’s announcement on a preferred bidder could be delayed by several days.
Citing sources, the broadcaster said a decision is expected before Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves for a NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 7.
Stephen Fuhr, head of Canada’s Defence Investment Agency, said on June 23 that the government expected to announce its decision by the end of June, although the timing could vary by several days.
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