Navantia aspires to sign a landmark contract with Canada to sell 12 conventional S-80 class submarines

It was during the NATO Washington summit. Canada has taken advantage of this event to officially announce its intention to renew and expand the submarine fleet, “to allow Canada to detect and deter threats and control our maritime access. We make this commitment because Canada’s current fleet, composed of four Victoria-class submarines, is becoming increasingly obsolete and costly to maintain. Canada needs a new fleet of submarines to protect our sovereignty from new security threats”, explained Defense Minister Bill Blair.

To this end, the acquisition of 12 submarines with conventional propulsion and the ability to navigate under ice has been announced. Canada is beginning the process of formally involving industry in this acquisition. Through the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), Canada will acquire a larger, more modern fleet of submersibles that will enable the Royal Canadian Navy to covertly detect and deter maritime threats, control maritime approaches, project power and strike across its three maritime domains and beyond its shores.

We must not forget that Canada is the country with the largest coastline in the world, so underwater surveillance capabilities are vital. In addition, the Arctic has become a particularly hot spot not only from a geopolitical point of view, but also from an environmental point of view, as rising temperatures and melting ice have made the region “a vast and sensitive area and more accessible to foreign actors with capabilities and regional military ambitions,” explains the Canadian Defense Minister. By 2050, the Arctic Ocean could become the most efficient shipping route between Europe and East Asia.

Although the document made public yesterday does not specify what type of submarines Canada is looking for, it is announced that “The Department of National Defence is currently in the process of meeting with potential manufacturers and partners as part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). A formal request for information will be published to obtain more information on the procurement, construction, delivery and operational capabilities of potential bidders building submarines for Canada enabling the establishment of a submarine maintenance capability in Canada. This acquisition will allow Canada to develop closer ties with its allies and partners and establish a strategic partnership that not only supplies submarines, but creates a lasting relationship between Canada and its strategic partners. Assisting in staff training and information sharing.”

Canada’s key submarine capability requirements will be stealth, lethality, persistence and Arctic deployment, meaning the submarine must have extended range and endurance. Canada’s new fleet A unique combination of these requirements will need to be delivered to ensure that Canada can detect, locate, deter, and, if necessary, defeat adversaries across Canada’s three oceans.Making vital contributions alongside allies and enabling the Government of Canada to deploy this fleet overseas in support of our allies and partners.

“We are seeing more Russian activity over our air routes and an increasing number of dual-purpose Chinese research vessels and surveillance platforms collecting data over northern Canada that, under Chinese law, are made available to the Chinese military,” he explained.

Canada has also announced new defence spending of $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years.

In 1998, the British government purchased four Victoria-class submarines, which were delivered to Canada over a four-year period between 2000 and 2004. The first three submarines (Victoria, Windsor and Corner Brook) entered service with the RCN soon after arriving in Canada. The fourth, Chicoutimi, was handed over to Canada in 2004 but did not enter service with the RCN until 2015 due to a fire in 2004 and subsequent work required.

The English submersibles that were in service were old and, for many situations, practically useless. In fact, the United Kingdom sold these for $750 million after they were rejected by Pakistan, Portugal and Chile. They were so bad that they spent more time in dry dock than in the water. Ottawa has been forced to invest billions of dollars in the fleet over more than two decades to deal with various problems and incidents such as fires and faulty welds. There were also several accidents during military operations and sea trials.

Already in 1987, the Canadian government’s white paper on defence recommended the purchase of 12 nuclear-powered submarines capable of navigating under ice and protecting its sovereignty in the Arctic region. However, the proposal was abandoned due to significant opposition from both public opinion and the media, as they rejected the nuclear option and the enormous expense it would entail.

Now, tired of spending money on repairing, maintaining and modernizing its old submarines, the idea of ​​buying 12 new submarines has once again taken shape, but not with nuclear propulsion, but with conventional submarines. The aim is to contribute to “NATO’s high-level operations”, argued a 2017 government report, advocating the implementation of a procurement process similar to that of Australia, which selected Naval Group to supply the Royal Australian Navy 12 Shortfin Barracuda, with industrial and technological transfer in key.

The Royal Canadian Navy intends to replace at least four of its Victoria-class submarines by taking advantage of an ongoing review of Canadian defence policy. At a time when China is investing heavily in its submarine capabilities, as is Russia, whose submarines are increasingly patrolling the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean.

In July 2021, the Canadian government also launched a new program called the “Canadian Patrol Submarine Project” (CPSP).to analyze the available options and fully determine its specific needs. The Navy is urging the government to include submarine acquisition in its revised defense policy. At a defense conference in Ottawa last month, Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre announced he would defend the submarines on behalf of the Navy.

Although the possibility of developing these ships with their own technology was considered, such a strategy could take up to fifteen years to implement and the decision to launch the said program should be made as soon as possible.

This is the point where Navantia would enter the scene, as the S-80 class submarines it is building for the Navy would fit perfectly with Canada’s wishes. A recent report by the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE) analyzed the state of this market and concluded that Only seven companies in the world had the possibility to bid for conventional submarines. Through a multi-criteria evaluation process, they compared the Spanish submersible to the rest of the submersibles and came to the conclusion that “The features of the S-80, Navantia’s cooperation with Electric Boat and the use of the most modern systems in the S-80 make it a good candidate for export.

Navantia has done its homework, it is likely to return strongly to this niche market. But we should not fool ourselves by not trusting them. “Arms sales are often linked to politics and its competitors will do everything possible to win the contract.”

The report said the Vickers used in the S-80’s design are the same as those used on several French, British and North American nuclear submarines. The S-80’s capabilities, innovative AIP system and care for acoustic signature make it a good product, but it needs to complete all the tests and enter service to make it a reality, not just a project.

lNavantia’s main competitors They would be the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH (TKMS), which has sold its submarines to the navies of 13 countries. The other six companies are the French Naval Group – formerly DCNS -, the Russian Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering of St. Petersburg, the Chinese State Shipbuilding Corporation of Jiangnan, the Japanese consortium Mitsubishi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Swedish Saab-Kockums, and, finally, the Spanish Navantia with its shipyard in Cartagena.

Of these seven manufacturers, for obvious reasons, Russian and Chinese companies should be ruled out Spain will have to compete with the Japanese Soryu class, which it has not yet managed to sell to any customer; the Swedish A-26, whose first unit will be delivered to the Swedish Navy in 2027is thus at a disadvantage with respect to Navantia, whose first submarine, the S-81 Isaac Peral, was delivered to the Navy last November; and then there are The French Scorpene, already in service and sold to several countries, and the Barracuda, with two versions, one nuclear and the other conventionalinitially intended for the Australian Navy whose sale ultimately did not succeed. Delivery of the first conventional unit to Australia was scheduled for 2025, but since the project failed, the future of the submarine is unknown.

And, Finally, there is the German model from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which has sold more than 20 submarines to several countries over the last decade.. “German submarines are adaptable to the needs of any navy and their AIP system is a benchmark.

According to the above-mentioned IEEE report, and analysis of various factors by a series of experts, In relation to the rest of the competitors, the S-80 would be ranked first, followed by the German U-212 (second) and the Japanese Soryu and French Shortfin Barracuda, both in third place.