Carney backs Germany-Norway bid to boost Canadian naval power

Prime Minister Mark Carney chose Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, in partnership with Norway, as the preferred supplier for Canada’s next patrol submarine fleet, a program that will deliver up to 12 submarines and that Ottawa calls the largest defence procurement in Canadian history. The federal backgrounder says contract negotiations will run through the end of 2027, with the first four submarines due in 2034, ahead of the Victoria-class retirement window in the mid-to-late 2030s.

Carney made the announcement at a Canadian Armed Forces base in Halifax before heading to the NATO summit in Ankara, and he framed the purchase as a long-term alliance play as much as a naval upgrade. “The Type 212CD sub will operate seamlessly alongside our NATO partners, sharing training, maintenance, parts, technology, and even crews throughout their service lives,” he said. He also called the project “the largest in Canadian history” and said it would have “far and away the greatest economic impact across Canada” compared with past purchases.

The decision closed a competition that Ottawa narrowed to TKMS and Hanwha Ocean in August 2025 after a request for information launched in 2024. Government documents say the new boats are meant to renew the Royal Canadian Navy’s underwater reach across the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, maintain a sustained presence in the Arctic and prevent a capability gap as the Victoria-class fleet ages out. Canada has not acquired newly built submarines in more than 60 years.

Beyond the procurement itself, the German-Norwegian bid marks a deliberate shift in how Canada is buying security. Ottawa’s own language says the submarine project is an opportunity to diversify defence partnerships, and that choice, paired with Carney’s emphasis on shared training and logistics with European NATO allies, amounts to a hedge against overreliance on the United States while widening Canada’s military and economic leverage.