www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 29
DEEP BLUE FORUM
CCGS SIR JOHN FRANKLIN . Photo: DND
turing all the way through to in-service
support - modularity is more than just
how one assembles a submarine. In the
final presentation of the conference, Rhe-
inmetall reviewed the use of simulation-
based evaluation on crew training and
submarine systems automation. The final
event of the forum was a panel discus-
sion moderated by Seaspan's Chris Earl
on learning from experience with regards
to submarine acquisition projects. As
panellists he had retired Australian and
Chilean naval officers who, in response to
key questions, brought up similar lessons
learned from their respective submarine
programmes. Specifically, a submarine
must meet Canada's requirements (e.g.,
there is a difference between endurance
and range) as well as appreciating the im-
pact of technological obsolescence over
the course of the build. Both panelists
stressed that submarine design and build
takes time (typically 14-15 years) and cau-
tioned against a "conspiracy of optimism"
as things will inevitably take longer than
one thinks. Finally, there was a warning to
limit the appetite to exploit leading edge
technology as the submarine must repre-
sent a solid engineering solution.
Summary
The takeaway from Deep Blue 2022 was
clear – Canada is moving forward on re-
placing the Victoria-class submarines,
before the end of their service lives in
the 2030s, with a class of diesel-electric
powered submarines. The planned pro-
curement schedule is necessarily aggres-
sive and will rely on industry expertise to
offer a design that can meet the demands
of Canada's unique operating require-
ments, in three oceans, support a modern
and evolving combat system suite while
remaining affordable. While the subma-
rine must meet national requirements,
minimalizing changes and modifications
to the parent design will reduce risk and
significantly contribute to the ability of
industry to meet a challenging procure-
ment schedule.
Capt(N) Norman Jolin (Ret'd) is
an Associate Consultant with CFN
Consultants specializing in naval and
maritime issues. Prior to joining CFN,
he provided advice on Canadian defence
procurement in the private sector,
following a 37-year career in the Royal
Canadian Navy.
Serving and retired submariners in attendance
at Deep Blue Forum 2022
