Vanguard Magazine

C 71 28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024 www.vanguardcanada.com A patrol sub to remain undaunted by the Canadian coastline B Y T I M LO U G H E E D FROM ONE NORTHERN NATION TO ANOTHER A mong the contenders to provide Canada with a new fleet of submarines over the next decade, Sweden brings to the competition its ex- tensive naval experience — centuries of defensive and offensive operations on a busy Baltic Sea, with a heightened aware- ness of just how belligerent the nearby Russian neighbours have become in the last few years. Over the last three decades, Canada has acquired some of Saab's products for its own military, such as optronic sensors in- stalled on Halifax-class frigates to control its missile and gun systems. Earlier this year, the federal government announced the $227.5 million purchase of Saab's RBS 70 short-range air defence system, a por- table missile launcher for Canadian troops currently posted in Latvia. Now, as the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) gathers momentum, Saab would like to provide this country with one of its latest and most sophisticated products — a long-range, expeditionary submarine, bearing the code name C71. The C71 is a modularly expanded version of new Blekinge-class submarines Saab is currently constructing for Sweden's navy. Called the A26, two of these smaller ves- sels are expected to be delivered by 2027 and 2028. With a beam of just under sev- en metres, an overall length of 66 metres, and a displacement of some 2,000 tons, they will be well suited to service in the Baltic, an inland sea no deeper than 450 metres. In contrast, the C71 is described as a larger, "expeditionary" Blekinge-class ves- sel adapted for deep ocean work. In the 1990s, Saab built six Collins-class vessels for the Australian navy on this scale, with a beam of 7.8 metres, a length of 77.8 me- tres, and a displacement of 3,100 tons. At the time they were the largest convention- ally powered submarines ever commis- sioned, and almost 30 years on, they are likely to remain in service for some time to come, as the Australians begin the long process of outfitting their submarine fleet with nuclear powered replacements. According to Per-Ola Hedin, Saab's Chief Engineer for the A26, the C71 is of similarly ambitious proportions, with a beam of roughly eight metres, a length of 80 metres, and a displacement of 3,300 tons. In a recent series of presentations at the company headquarters in Stockholm and the Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona, Saab argued this new vessel could serve Canada's Atlantic, Pacific, and even Arctic needs, as well as meeting the CPSP's 2035 delivery deadline. Saab representatives underscored this prospect by referring to the company's track record, which this year marks 110 years of building more than a dozen dif- ferent types of undersea vessels, from tra- ditional crewed boats to remotely operated and autonomous vehicles. More specifical- ly, the Swedes tout their expertise with an innovative engine design enabling diesel- electric propulsion to increase submerged endurance from days to weeks, offering a

• Cover