Seaspan and other Canadian partners move to the front as Ottawa begins negotiations on its largest-ever procurement
Canada’s selection of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) does more than narrow the submarine question. It brings Canada into an established German-Norwegian program, positions a group of Canadian partners for the next phase, and leaves companies aligned with Hanwha Ocean looking for other routes into the country’s naval buildup. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the decision at CFB Halifax on July 6, 2026, calling the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, a program for up to twelve submarines, the largest defence procurement in Canadian history.
Ottawa’s line. Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr said Canada completed a competition of this scale in roughly eight months while maintaining a rigorous and fair evaluation. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly tied the announcement to jobs and domestic supply chains under the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy. Canada and TKMS will negotiate final terms through the end of 2027, with the first four submarines targeted for delivery in 2034. TKMS has separately said it expects to deliver the first Canadian 212CD submarine in 2033.
Allies respond. Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre issued a joint statement the next day, describing Canada’s entry into the German-Norwegian Type 212CD cooperation as an opportunity to deepen defence-industrial and military ties. Meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara, the three leaders said the partnership would bring their countries closer together for decades and strengthen transatlantic security and collective defence. Norway’s Forsvarsmateriell said Canada’s participation could expand the user community, support common logistics, and deepen access to expertise across the three countries. Kongsberg, which supplies key elements of the ORCCA combat system through the kta naval systems joint venture, also welcomed Canada’s entry into the program.
TKMS and Hanwha. TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard said the potential Canadian contract would be the largest single order in the company’s history, and TKMS said the project would increase its current order backlog by more than 50%. Hanwha Canada CEO Glenn Copeland said the loss of the KSS-III bid was disappointing but called the competition a genuine team effort that opened eyes on both sides of the Pacific to what South Korea’s defence industrial base can do, adding that Hanwha’s various business divisions will keep growing regardless of the outcome. He said the company intends to keep demonstrating why Hanwha is “the backbone of the world’s fourth largest defence export nation.” Hanwha Ocean remains the reserve supplier and may be designated preferred supplier if Canada’s negotiations with TKMS are unsuccessful.
Where Canadian industry stands. Seaspan Shipyards, which signed a teaming agreement with TKMS in January, said it is ready to support submarine delivery, technology transfer, and a sovereign Canadian sustainment program. CEO John McCarthy called the selection a generational decision for Canada’s security and sovereignty. Seaspan has maintained RCN submarines in Canada since 2005. CAE, which signed a teaming agreement with TKMS in March, said the selection reinforces the role of training in the RCN’s future submarine capability; the agreement positions CAE to contribute training, simulation, and long-term in-service support, though its final scope remains subject to negotiations. MARMEN, a strategic Canadian manufacturing partner to TKMS since December, said its anticipated work could include structural subassemblies, complex machining, and assembly for the 212CD, calling the project a once-in-a-generation opportunity combining German submarine design and construction leadership with Canadian industrial expertise. President and CEO Vincent Trudel said the announcement recognizes the role Canadian advanced manufacturing can play in strengthening the economy and national security; MARMEN intends to establish a North American hub for submarine-component manufacturing, but says its specific mandates, investment, and job creation will depend on the final agreement. Arcfield Canada, which has not publicly announced a formal teaming agreement with TKMS, congratulated the company and said it looks forward to continued discussions on a proven, low-risk, and integrated sustainment solution. Final work allocation for industry players remains subject to the broader CPSP negotiations.
Ontario recalibrates. Ontario Shipyards had agreements tied to Hanwha Ocean’s bid, meaning TKMS’s selection disrupts the CPSP pathway those partnerships were designed to pursue. Two days later, Premier Doug Ford announced more than $90 million through the Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program. The province framed the funding around broader National Shipbuilding Strategy opportunities and growing demand for Ontario-built vessels, rather than CPSP alone.
What comes next. The decision narrows Canada’s platform choice but does not settle price, delivery sequencing, workshare, training, infrastructure, or intellectual-property arrangements, all still subject to negotiation through the end of 2027. The near-term opportunity for Canadian industry spans through-life support, training, infrastructure, technology transfer, and supply-chain manufacturing. Companies already operating under agreements with TKMS enter those talks with a head start, but no final allocation has been announced. The contest now is less about which submarine Canada wants and more about how much of the fleet’s economic and industrial value stays home.