Introduction to the Submarine Deal

So, let me give you the scoop on this whole submarine deal that’s brewing between some heavyweights in Europe and our friends up North in Canada. It’s kind of a big deal, seriously. Top defense bods from Germany and Norway are pretty pumped because they think Canada is gonna hop on board with their plan – the ReArm Europe scheme – in the next few weeks. And guess what? This could totally smooth the way for Canada to snag some fancy new submarines from their allies.

Key Players in the Deal

Major Figures

Here’s the gist: Jasper Wieck, who’s the big shot at the German Ministry of Defence, and this submarine honcho from Norway, Captain Oystein Storebo, spilled the beans to CBC News about how they want Canada to join their submarine club. They’ve been cooking up some cutting-edge subs that they plan to roll out by 2028.

Market Competition for Submarine Contracts

South Korean Challenge

Now, here’s where it gets spicy – there’s this massive competition brewing over who gets to build these billion-dollar underwater beasts. A couple of South Korean shipyards, locked in a joint venture, recently threw a $24 billion pitch into the ring to build a dozen subs for the Royal Canadian Navy. They even said they can get four of these bad boys done by 2035, which is when the Canadian Navy wants to start unwrapping their new toys.

Canada’s Political Landscape

Historical Context

Remember when Justin Trudeau was still in charge? Last summer, at a NATO summit, he shook hands on a deal with Germany and Norway, aiming to beef up their military clout in the North Atlantic to keep things cool with NATO and put a lid on any potential Russian shenanigans.

European Defense Partnership

Benefits for Canada

Wieck is all in on this. He thinks it’s a win-win for Europe and Canada. And he’s like, once Canada seals the deal on this defense partnership with the European Union, they’ll pretty much be part of the EU crew when it comes to all these military perks and whatnot.

Wider Implications for NATO

Beyond the EU

Even though Norway and the UK aren’t in the EU club, they’re still keyed in on this rearm pact. It’s all about Europeans pulling together – buying stuff, maintaining it, training up, and operating as one big happy family, Wieck explained.

Technical Details of the Subs

Sub Design and Capabilities

As for the technical deets, the German lead on this, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, hasn’t moved beyond the initial pitch and is hanging tight for Canada’s green light to kick things off formally. Diving deeper into the sub specs, Germany and Norway have been tag-teaming on this sub design called the 212CD, based on the sturdy German Type 212A, which the German and Italian navies already mess around with. These subs are designed to handle all seas, and can even lurk under the polar ice caps without coming up for air for three weeks – pretty cool, huh?

Current Manufacturing Efforts

Ongoing Projects

Right now, six of these 212CDs are being put together – a couple for Germany and a few more for Norway, all part of an $8.1 billion project.

Potential Canadian Involvement

Future Opportunities

If Canada decides to jump in, they could potentially snag one of the subs already in line for either Germany or Norway, according to Oliver Burkhard, the big boss at tkMS. He’s like, maybe we can chat about flipping one of those to be the first Canadian sub. TkMS also has plans to potentially set up a submarine maintenance hub in Canada, which means jobs for Canadians, something the Canadian government is really keen on.

Security Cooperation and Future Plans

Comparison with AUKUS

Talking about security tie-ups, Canada’s aiming to lock down something akin to AUKUS (that’s the defense trifecta of the US, UK, and Australia) but without the whole nuclear sub drama that got everyone talking. So, no nukes for Canada, but still, some folks felt a bit miffed about being left out of the cool kids’ table when AUKUS was drawn up.

Conclusion

So, yeah, that’s the skinny on the submarine saga with Canada, Germany, and Norway. It’s kind of like a high-stakes, high-seas drama, isn’t it?