Vanguard Magazine

18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com HMCS Max Bernays. Photo: Royal Canadian Navy INTERVIEW We anticipate some upgrades still to come in the areas of Multirole Boat capa- bility, Naval Communications Moderniza- tion, and Integrated Torpedo Defence. The first area is in implementation now, with several boats and cranes already deliv- ered for installation, and installation work already underway in HMCS Toronto. The latter two areas are under development now, but with a relatively narrow options set due to time and SWAP margin con- straints. The other change for the Halifax- class that is coming is RCN ISTAR, which will be discussed below. Victoria-class submarines: Q Submarine availability, for such a small fleet, is always a maintenance challenge. Would you update the readers on current state of the Victoria-class with recent notable successes and an assessment of the challenges ahead for maintaining these submarines and the operational capability they represent to the RCN. Specifically, are you seeing supply chain issues in sourcing equip- ment spares for the submarines? If so, how can industry help? The Victoria-class continues to experi- ence sustainment challenges associated with both 2nd and 3rd line capability and capacity, compounded to a greater extent than was originally thought by COVID-19 and its aftermath. We are also at a point where our equipment challenges are more or less matched by personnel challenges. On the positive side, there is no shortage of volunteers for submarine service, and there are hundreds of very talented and determined Canadians who are making it their business to manage through chal- lenges and a certain amount of adversity to get Victoria-class submarines safely to sea for both force generation and force em- ployment activities. With respect to the future of Victoria- class in-service support, a solicitation to replace the current Victoria In-Service Support Contract (VISSC) is under devel- opment. An Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) for VISSC II was issued by the Govern- ment of Canada in August 2019, however was cancelled in June 2023 given the time that elapsed and due to the fact that the contemplated solution no longer perfectly matched the ITQ. The Government of Canada is currently engaging with indus- try on the development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to ensure a smooth tran- sition of fleet support. Based on current progress, we expect a draft RFP to be pub- lished in the coming months, followed by the release of a finalized RFP later in 2024, with contract award targeted for 2026. The scope of the future VISSC II contract is the subject of ongoing study to ensure that the new contract will respond well to Government priorities around Perfor- mance, Flexibility, Value for Money, and Economic Benefits. A key area of interest from this study is the potential for specific measures to further develop submarine- specific engineering capability and capacity here in Canada. With respect to how industry can help, certainly the most important single item is participation in the process. Ultimately, we are looking for potential partners with proven submarine-specific capability and capacity who are motivated to assist us in maximizing value for money from the investment in the Victoria class, who will provide honest and meaningful feedback as draft Victoria-class ISS documents are released for review, and who will consider making bids where they have bona-fide submarine capability to offer. Q Understanding that pandemic has caused significant delays worldwide, of which we are only now seeing the beginning of a recovery, can you give an updated assessment of the state of the Victoria-class Modernization programme and which projects are of the highest priority? The Victoria-class Modernization (VCM) continues to move apace, with a concen- tration on the Periscope and Flank Array Sonar projects as the priorities, along with habitability and quality of life improve- ments. Several Requests for Informa- tion (RFIs) have been undertaken for the Periscope and Flank Array Sonar projects and we anticipate that draft RFPs for both projects will be released in the weeks and months ahead. The first VCM project to run a solicitation was the Galley Im- provement Project. That solicitation is now closed, and a winning bid will be an- nounced in due course. Q With regards to the future Canadian Patrol Submarine project, which is in the pre-Identification phase, what role does your team have, if any, at this early stage of project planning? As your readers may recall, the Victoria- class was purchased by the government of Canada in 1998 under the Submarine Ca- pability Life Extension (SCLE) project, to extend the life of a submarine operations and sustainment capability in Canada until such time as a platform meeting Canadian requirements could be acquired. The sub- marines themselves are now all past their originally intended design lives, and it is currently intended to divest them between 2036 and 2040. At the current time, the Royal Canadian Navy, supported by the Materiel Group, is working actively on the Canadian Pa- trol Submarine Project (CPSP). As a first step, a delegation of representatives from Public Services and Procurement Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic De- velopment Canada, National Defence, and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) met with officials in Europe and Asia between March and May 2023 to conduct initial engagements and fact finding with coun- tries, companies, and navies that currently have or are in the process of building sub- marines that meet Canadian requirements. Six countries have been visited to date: • France – Naval Group – Shortfin Barra- cuda (in design) • Germany – tkMS - Type 212CD/E (in design) • Japan – Kawasaki and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Taigei-class (in service)

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