Vanguard Magazine

14 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024 www.vanguardcanada.com P R O C U R E M E N T marine fleet that will be in the process of transition to a completely different class of submarine. • Cease the Victoria-In-Service-Support Contract II (VISSC II) negotiations and stay with the legacy arrangement as the fleet transitions to a new build and a fu- ture ISS organization. At the same time, engage with industry for a future In Ser- vice Support Contractor (ISSC) in co- ordination with the selected submarine manufacturer. Whither A Replacement Submarine? At first blush, going immediately to the procurement of new submarine would be seen by many as an easy solution. How- ever, there are some significant factors that demand consideration before proceeding. Notably, what exactly are Canada's re- quirements for a submarine, and can they be achieved before the Victoria-class must be retired from service? In Our North, Strong and Free, the thrust is clearly on defence of North America, of which the protection of our interests in the Arctic predominate – this means that a future Ca- nadian submarine capability must have the range and endurance to get to, and then operate in, Canada's North, which fortu- itously also gives it the ability to operate worldwide. 4 While a definitive list of High-Level Mandatory Requirements (HLMRs) are not public at this time, the following points have been openly discussed in pub- lic fora: • The first submarine of the class must be delivered by 2035. • The submarine must be conventionally powered (diesel electric). 5 • The submarine must be capable of ex- tended unsupported ocean-going tran- sits that demand significant range& en- durance. 6 • The submarine must be capable of oper- ating on the Arctic ice-edge (with short under-ice forays) while meeting envi- ronmental regulations, notably the IMO Polar Code. 7 The Candidates The following conventional submarine de- signs are understood to be under consid- eration (in alphabetical order): • French Barracuda-class – this 3,300- ton submarine design has been selected to be built for the Netherlands, it is a conventional (diesel electric) deriva- tive of the nuclear-powered Suffren- class, as the French navy only operates nuclear-powered submarines. Will the proposed design be able to meet Cana- dian requirements as it is unproven and a modification of an SSN design – not a conventional submarine design? • German Type 216-class – this 4,000- ton design was proposed for the origi- nal Australian submarine replacement project (subsequently cancelled) and has never been built. With the exception of the 2,400-ton Type 800 Israeli Dol- phin-class submarines and the 2,200-ton Type 218 Singaporean Invincible-class, all other tkMS submarines have been 2,000 tons or less. • German Type 212 A CD-class – tkMS have started building the first of the 3,000-ton Type 212A CD-class for the Norwegian & German navies. They are apparently offering an extended version entitled Type 212A CDE for Canada. • Japanese Taigei-class – a 4,000-ton submarine which is in service with the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. • Korean KSS III-class – a 3,700-ton submarine, which is in service in the ROK Navy as part of an eventual nine submarine class. • Spanish Isaac Peral-class (S 80 Plus) – the first of class of this 3,400-ton sub- marine was recently commissioned into service after a lengthy design and build process that encountered significant dif- ficulties. • Swedish Blekinge-class – currently the design is less than 2,000 tons, this submarine is the first of its class and is currently in build. However, as part of the competition for the Dutch subma- rine replacement project, SAAB offered a larger Type C71 design (enlarged ex- peditionary derivative of the Blekinge- class, displacing over 3,000 tons). Of note, the Swedish have designed large displacement submarines in the past, the Västergötland-class submarine was the parent design for the 3,400-ton Austra- lian Collins-class submarines. To follow-on, which builders can reliably build a conventional submarine of this size in time to meet the Canadian time require- ment of 2035? The following information is displayed in order of published build times; however, it is noteworthy that the metrics used to define these timings may not be consistent with allied anticipated delivery timelines. • Japan: Taigei-class (JS Jingei) - Laid down: April 2020, Delivered: March 2024 – 49 months. • Korea: KSS III-class (ROKS Ahn Mu) - Laid down: April 2018, Delivered: April 2023 – 60 months. • Sweden: Blekinge-class (HSwMS Blekinge) - Laid down: June 2022, Ex- pected: 2027/28 – 66 months. • Germany: Type 212A CD (NN) - Laid down: September 2023, Expected: 2029 – 72 months. 8 • France: Barracuda-class SSK (HN- LMS Orka) - The first two submarines of the proposed 3,300-ton Orka-class for the Royal Netherlands Navy are expected to be delivered 120 months from con- tract award. 9 • Spain: S80-Plus-class (ESPS Isaac Peral) - Laid down: December 2007, De- livered: November 2023 – 188 months. SUBMARINE NAME Walrus Zeeleeuw Doljijn Briunvis LAID DOWN Oct 1979 Sep 1981 Jun 1986 Apr 1988 LAUNCHED Sep 1989 Jun 1987 Apr 1990 Apr 1992 DECOMMISSIONED In service In service In upgrade Jul 1994 STATUS Decommissioned In service In service In upgrade

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