Bill Blair announces major investment in new submarine fleet

On Wednesday, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair announced that the Canadian government will order up to 12 new conventionally powered submarines capable of operating under ice. The government has unveiled a new strategy and committed to over 8.5 billion CAD in defence spending.

"As the country with the longest coastline in the world, Canada needs a new fleet of submarines – and today, we’ve announced that we will move forward with this acquisition," said Bill Blair in a statement.

"This new fleet will enable Canada to protect its sovereignty in a changing world, and make valuable, high-end contributions to the security of our partners and NATO Allies. We look forward to delivering this new fleet to the Royal Canadian Navy."

The Ministry of Defence is meeting with potential partners and manufacturers, and a tender announcement will be published this autumn. The future service centre is to be located in Canada.

The statement did not disclose the order's planned value, assuming the Canadian Navy could detect and deter sea threats, control maritime approaches, project power and strike capabilities further from the coast, and design enduring deterrence capabilities across all three coastlines. The goal set for suppliers is that the submarines should be challenging to detect, equipped with deadly weapons, durable, and capable of operating in the Arctic, including the capability for long-range missions.

The media reminded us that the Canadian Navy currently has four submarines purchased in the 1990s from the British Navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on refurbishments, and prolonged repairs have been the subject of much criticism from Canadian media in recent years.

At the beginning of April this year, the federal government announced a new defence strategy. Canada plans to spend over 8.5 billion CAD on defence over the next five years and 76 billion CAD over 20 years. Military presence in the Arctic will be increased, and China, Russia, and autocratic regimes are considered threats. The strategy is titled "Our North, Strong and Free," referencing the words of the Canadian anthem.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized that with climate change melting Arctic ice, "the Northwest Passage could become the best route for ships between Europe and Asia by 2050". Highlighting new threats from Russia, the strategy stresses that Canadian defence in the Arctic "will be more crucial than ever," as Canada's north constitutes both the western and northern flanks of the Alliance. The primary expenditures listed in the strategy are to "ensure Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic and Northern regions."

According to government calculations, the defence spending-to-GDP ratio will rise to 1.76 percent within five years. Currently, Canada spends nearly 1.4 percent of its GDP on defence. In 2015, when the current ruling Liberal team won the election, Canada was spending about 1 percent of its GDP on defence.