During his trip to Canada on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, together with his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik, advocated that Ottawa participate in the German-Norwegian Type 212CD submarine project. In addition to discussions with Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty, meetings with other members of the government and parliament were also scheduled.

By Lars Hoffmann / Hartpunkt

The Canadian government plans to procure up to twelve new submarines, which will replace four older British-built models and will also be capable of operating under ice. Besides the German naval shipbuilder TKMS, only the South Korean Hanwha Group is still competing for the multi-billion dollar contract. In addition to a fast and cost-effective delivery of submarines, the South Koreans have apparently also offered extensive offset services. According to reports, the Canadian government has tied the fulfillment of offset requirements to the submarine contract.

As Pistorius explained during a press conference in Ottawa, Germany is also currently engaged in offset negotiations with Ottawa. He sees the upcoming procurement of a Canadian combat management system (CMS) for the entire German Navy fleet as one such counter-deal. This is likely to be the CMS 330 from Lockheed Martin Canada, as previously reported by Hartpunkt.

In addition, Germany will procure at least 18 Global aircraft from Canada in the coming years, Pistorius said. He likely means business jets from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, which are often converted for specialized military missions. Perhaps even a larger number of such aircraft could be acquired in Canada if GlobaEye is involved, the SPD politician added.

GlobalEye is an Airborne Early Warning & Control system from the Swedish defense company Saab, integrated into a Bombardier aircraft, and is considered a strong candidate to succeed the European AWACS aircraft. Pistorius stated a few weeks ago that GlobalEye is very well positioned for the project. The minister also sees opportunities for the North American country in the area of ​​space, in which the German Ministry of Defence plans to invest 35 billion euros in the coming years.

According to him, Germany is also interested in cooperation with Canada in the areas of raw materials, hydropower, and liquefied natural gas. “Several areas of cooperation are currently being explored with our Canadian friends” Pistorius said. The minister pointed out that Germany is already the fifth or sixth largest investor in Canada and would like to further improve this position.

As Pistorius explained, TKMS has also offered the Canadians the prospect of supplying components or even building entire batches of the new submarines in the country, if they so wish. He pointed out that TKMS boats are also in operation in Singapore and thus in the Indo-Pacific, which could be incorporated into a cooperation.

Boris Pistorius during his visit to Canada. German MoD picture.

The Type 212CD program is on schedule and on budget, the minister said in response to a question pointing out that the Koreans had promised short-term delivery within budget. TKMS had also announced that it would be able to produce three to four boats per year starting in 2027. The company is therefore ramping up its production capacity, Pistorius said. “The Koreans build excellent submarines, but we build better ones,” he said. Among the outstanding features of the Type 212CD, he said, are stealth characteristics, which have real military added value. “The Koreans cannot offer this. Furthermore, it uses a propulsion system that allows it to remain submerged for long periods, longer than food can last. Furthermore, the boats are said to feature state-of-the-art technology for combating other submarines”.

In principle, Canada’s entry into the submarine project would mean a very long-term cooperation between the three countries, spanning 40 to 50 years, the minister said. They could jointly build, maintain the submarines, manage logistics, further develop them, and even exchange crews, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Norway is also very interested in Canadian participation and is also offering offset services, said Defense Minister Tore Sandvik. His country is interested in AI solutions from Canada. Furthermore, Norway could leave the blueprint for the submarine maintenance center currently under construction in Bergen to the Canadians to save costs. Germany has so far ordered six Type 212CD submarines, Norway four, with an option for two more still pending confirmation.

This article by Lars Hoffman was originally published in German language at Hartpunkt.de. It has been translated and republished with authorization.