28 October 2025
For multiple governments, the Victoria-class submarine fleet has been a procurement curse. The subs have been on land more than at sea, undergoing extensive refits and numerous upgrades to bring them into service. The Victoria-class was procured in an eleventh-hour deal from the British and has been one of those buyer-beware lessons for Canada.
Canada’s defence procurements have been marked by delays, cost overruns, ill-suited equipment due to over-Canadianization, and, overall, controversies. If there is ever a procurement project that needs to be efficiently executed and exorcise the procurement ghosts of the past, it would be the replacement of the Victoria-class submarine with the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The CSPS is down to two options: Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III & TKMS Group’s 212CD. The government has stated that both submarines meet the Royal Canadian Navy’s needs, but they are two distinct submarines. This report aims to examine the implications of choosing between the two options.
Download the Report here.
Feature Photo: “Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) VICTORIA“, LS Zachariah Stopa, MARPAC Imaging Services – ET2015-0051-03, CombatCamera.gc.ca