Seaspan Shipyards is preparing to take on a major role in sustaining Canada’s next fleet of submarines after the federal government selected ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the strategic build partner for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The announcement puts Seaspan in line to support the new fleet through its Victoria Shipyards operation in Esquimalt, where the company has maintained Royal Canadian Navy submarines for decades.
Seaspan and TKMS signed a teaming agreement in January to support the CPSP. Canada will also become part of the 212CD submarine program involving Germany and Norway, bringing the country into a multinational program with experience in submarine operations, Arctic conditions, sustainment and NATO interoperability.
For Seaspan, the focus now turns to building on its existing submarine maintenance capability and supporting the development of a Canadian sustainment program for the new fleet.
“Canada has made a generational decision about its security and sovereignty today and Seaspan, as part of the integrated sustainment team, is ready to answer that call,” says John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards.
“We have spent more than 20 years building up the specialized expertise and a highly qualified Canadian team who can perform this work. Seaspan will provide the comprehensive through-life support this fleet requires, entirely within Canada. Today marks a new chapter for this country’s defence industrial base, and Seaspan is immensely proud to be a part of it.”
Victoria Shipyards currently maintains Canada’s Victoria-class submarines and has more than 30 years of experience working on Royal Canadian Navy submarines and ships. The yard employs more than 1,000 people, including more than 300 technicians and tradespeople working in its submarine program.
That existing workforce will be an important part of Canada’s effort to develop a domestic sustainment capability for the new fleet.
The federal government has identified sovereign sustainment on both the West and East coasts as a priority for the CPSP. The planned capability will bring together the Royal Canadian Navy, the Maritime Equipment Program, Fleet Maintenance Facilities, and Canadian industry.
For Canadian suppliers and skilled trades, the submarine program is expected to extend well beyond the delivery of the vessels themselves. Maintaining the fleet over its service life will require specialized skills, infrastructure, engineering support, training, and a domestic supply chain.
“We look forward to working with Canada and TKMS in support of CPSP, bringing this tremendous capability to the Royal Canadian Navy’s future submarine fleet for decades to come,” says McCarthy.
Canada expects to acquire up to 12 new diesel-electric, ice-capable submarines under the CPSP. The new boats will replace the Victoria-class fleet, with the first submarine expected to be delivered in the mid-2030s.
For Seaspan, the next phase of the program represents an opportunity to carry its existing submarine expertise into a new generation of Canadian naval capability while keeping much of the work at home.
—
