Canada: The Next Submarine Superpower?

Summary and Key Points: Canada is ramping up its naval capabilities, planning to acquire up to a dozen new conventionally powered submarines capable of under-ice operations.

-This move aims to enhance Canada's defense strategy and protect its interests in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes.

-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized the need for a modernized submarine fleet to detect and deter threats across Canada's extensive coastlines. This initiative, part of the "Our North, Strong and Free" defense strategy, will replace the aging Victoria-class submarines and ensure Canada's sovereignty and contribution to NATO security.

Canada – A Burgeoning Submarine Powerhouse

Several NATO nations share a land border with Russia, including Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The U.S. state of Alaska sits just 55 miles from the Kamchatka Peninsula. 

Often forgotten is that Canada is also relatively close to Russia in the Arctic, where submarines can easily travel under the water without being detected. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this month called for his nation's navy to increase its submarine force significantly. Ottawa wants to acquire as many as a dozen new submarines that could travel under the ice.

"A larger modernized submarine fleet will help us detect and deter threats on all three coasts and protect Canadians and Canadian interests," Trudeau said during NATO’s summit in Washington.

As CBS News reported, climate change has resulted in melting sea ice, which has opened new shipping routes. The Kremlin has focused on ramping up Russia’s military presence in the Arctic, and the Northern Sea Route is on track to become one of the most efficient shipping routes between Europe and Asia by 2050.

To help protect that potentially vital shipping route, Canada will begin the procurement of a dozen conventionally powered, under-ice-capable submarines. The boats could allow the Royal Canadian Navy to covertly detect and deter maritime threats, control its maritime approaches, and project power as well as striking capability in the region. 

It is part of Ottawa's renewed defense strategy, labeled Our North, Strong and Free.

"As the country with the longest coastline in the world, Canada needs a new fleet of submarines," Canadian Minister of Defense Bill Blair said earlier this month. "We've announced that we will move forward with this acquisition. This new fleet will enable Canada to protect its sovereignty in a changing world, and make valuable, high-end contributions to the security of our partners and NATO Allies. We look forward to delivering this new fleet to the Royal Canadian Navy."

Increasing its Fleet – And Out With the Old

The Royal Canadian Navy operates just four Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines. The subs were built in the UK in the 1980s. According to USNI News, the boats have experienced "significant support and sustainability issues" during their service with the RCN. Those ongoing issues have "severely limited the fleet's operational availability," and typically just one is at high readiness.

Ottawa has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars to keep its four Victoria-class submarines in service. The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project will allow the RCN to acquire a larger, modernized submarine fleet.

The Canada Department of National Defense has already begun to meet with potential manufacturers and other partners, while a formal Request for Information will be posted this coming fall to garner additional information "on the procurement, construction, delivery and operational capabilities of potential bidders who can build submarines for Canada," the government announced.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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