On the series finale of The Bachelor: Maritime Defence Edition, the federal government has chosen who gets the final rose (a.k.a. the lucrative submarine contract).
What happened: Ottawa has selected Germany’s TKMS as its preferred bidder to provide the Canadian military with 12 new submarines. Talks will continue to hammer out the exact details, but the contract could ultimately be worth up to $120 billion over a 70-year period. TKMS is expected to make the first four deliveries by 2034.
For nearly a year, TKMS was engaged in a heated contest with South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean for the contract, with both sides continually upping the ante and teasing industrial benefits meant to sweeten their bids. TKMS now has the last laugh.
Zoom out: This is the first time since the 1960s that Canada will buy newly made subs instead of sourcing them secondhand. It’s a long overdue purchase, as the current fleet is virtually inoperable and lacks the capabilities to participate in modern Arctic defence.
TKMS’s 212CD subs are state-of-the-art, with an advanced fuel cell and modernized combat system. The Canadian Defence Review claims they are optimized for “endurance and operations in challenging environments, including the High North.”
Why it matters: Hanwha may have had the flashier bid — with its Peter Mansbridge ads and promises of a domestic hydrogen trucking industry — but this decision makes it clear that Ottawa is valuing closer ties to Europe and NATO above all else when it comes to defence deals. Siding with zee Germans is another means to make this happen.—QH
