Carney to Pick Canada's Next Submarine Fleet, Promises Vessels Will Be Able to Surface at Least Twice
Prime Minister Mark Carney is reportedly close to selecting Canada's next submarine fleet, a decision the country has been putting off with the patience of someone letting a library book go 40 years overdue.
The current fleet, purchased used from the British in the late 1990s, has spent most of its career being described in defence reports with words like "alongside," "in refit," and "on fire." Officials say the new subs will represent a generational leap, in the sense that a different generation of Canadians will be retired before they arrive.
Sources familiar with the procurement say Ottawa is weighing bids from Germany, South Korea, and a Norwegian consortium, evaluated on criteria including cost, Arctic capability, and whether the manufacturer is willing to pretend the delivery date is realistic. A senior official confirmed the fleet will be "under-ice capable," which in Canadian defence parlance means capable of being announced under any amount of ice.
The Department of National Defence noted that the subs will patrol three oceans, a feat made easier by the fact that no one will ever see them in any of the three. Carney, asked whether the boats would be built with Canadian steel, gave the answer economists give when they mean no.
A spokesperson insisted the fleet will be operational well within the vessels' expected service life, which is the first honest thing anyone has said about Canadian submarines since 1998.