The Canadian Ministry of National Defence announced on July 10, 2024, the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) program, launched to acquire up to 12 non-nuclear submarines for the Canadian Navy. These new submarines will replace the four former British diesel-electric submarines of the Victoria class (Upholder class) currently in service with the Canadian fleet.
The Canadian Ministry of Defence press release states that “the Ministry of National Defence is currently holding meetings with manufacturers and potential partners as part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). An official request for information will be published in the fall of 2024 to obtain additional information on the procurement, construction, delivery, and operational capabilities of potential bidders who can build submarines for Canada. This request for information will also aim to gather data to create submarine technical support capabilities in Canada.”
It also implies that the construction of all Canadian submarines is planned for foreign shipyards.
It additionally states that the primary needs for Canada’s submarine capabilities would be stealth, combat potential, battle resilience, and Arctic deployability, which means the submarine must have a long range and autonomy. The new Canadian submarine fleet will need to meet a unique set of requirements to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter, and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all three of Canada’s oceans while also making a meaningful contribution alongside allies and allowing the Canadian government to deploy this fleet abroad to support our partners and allies. The release emphasizes that these must be “non-nuclear-powered submarines capable of operating under ice.”
Currently, the Royal Canadian Navy has four large former British diesel-electric submarines of the Victoria class (British Upholder class), built in the early 1990s and purchased by Canada from the British fleet in 1998. The first three of these submarines—SSK 876 Victoria (former British Unseen), SSK 877 Windsor (former Unicorn), and SSK 878 Corner Brook (former Ursula)—were commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in 2000-2004. The fourth submarine, SSK 879 Chicoutimi (former lead Upholder), was delivered to Canada in 2004 but was not commissioned into the Canadian fleet until 2015 due to a fire in 2004 and subsequent lengthy repairs. In its 2017 Defence Policy, the Canadian government committed to modernizing and maintaining the Victoria-class submarines in service until the mid-to-late 2030s.
