The federal government has reduced the pool of candidates for constructing the navy’s new submarines to a German company and a South Korean firm, as part of its plan to bolster Canada’s defence capabilities in the Arctic.
German company Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems and Hanwha Ocean Co. in South Korea were identified in an Aug. 26 announcement by Ottawa as qualified suppliers for its Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), an initiative that aims to procure up to 12 new submarines that will be deployable in the Arctic.
“The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, in collaboration with TKMS and Hanwha as the 2 qualified suppliers, is an opportunity to work with allies and strengthen our defence industrial capacity,” Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound said in an Aug. 26 press release. “This is a critical step toward equipping the Royal Canadian Navy with next-generation capabilities our Navy needs to protect our sovereignty and support our allies.”…