Canada Navy Canada SSK program

Chocopie

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Problem with Type 216 is that the actual design doesn't exist just yet. They need a first customer like what Greece was for Type 214. Then again the situation is even less ideal since Type 216 is almost an all-new design unlike Type 214 which leveraged design features from Type 209 and Type 212A. Type 212CD and Kokums A26 are unsuited for Canada considering what they are built for and where they will operate. They will most probably offer what they're trying to sell to India. Also just like what Chocopie said, there's the problem of capacity when it comes to TKMS since they've got a few ships to build for the German, Norweigean and Italian Navies. Dutch and Polish Navies could join the queue if they are to select 212CD as well.

Navantia should first get the S80+ sorted out if they want to sell that design abroad. The program was woefully managed since they've parted ways with the French.

So the competition is really between France, Korea and Japan. Naval Group can offer both the Scorpene with FC2G or Shortfin Barracuda depending on what the Canadian Navy wants. Mitsubishi will probably enter with Taigei and Hanwha only has KSS-III, and they'll probably offer a model based on batch II with Li-ion batteries.
True, Type 216 is a non-existent „paper boat“ right now. Thinking of all the initial issues of Greek Type 214s and recurring fuel cell and cable defects on Korean Son Won Il-class, any introduced new sub design is a risk factor. 30 years deployment of a faulty sub could easily become a financial and strategic disaster for any Navy.

The Japanese later Soryu and new Taigei-class are the 1st to mainly use Li-Ion batteries without AIP. Koreans, French and Germans combine them with fuel cell AIP. Still a unproven technology, the risk of highly inflammable Li-Ion batteries in a sub was for years unacceptable up to now.

Didn‘t take the Scorpene-class or Type 214 into the procurement pool, expecting RCN seeks at minimum a heavier weight class as replacement of the Victoria-class.
Beefed up TKMS versions of 2000+ tons Israeli Dolphin-class or Singaporean Type 218SG could be considered as well.

Afaik Naval Group’s Shortfin Barracuda-class plan of putting a conventional diesel electric with AIP in a SSN hull specially designed for a LEU-fuelled reactor didn‘t go well (costs overflow) before the Aussies pulled the plug and switched over to AUKUS with nuclear subs.
 
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Nilgiri

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Afaik Naval Group’s Shortfin Barracuda-class plan of putting a conventional diesel electric with AIP in a SSN hull specially designed for a LEU-fuelled reactor didn‘t go well (costs overflow) before the Aussies pulled the plug and switched over to AUKUS with nuclear subs.

I mean in the end you were getting an SSK for SSN price essentially....you can change things only so much, plenty things are baked in for SSN.

So the Aussies decided might as well get an SSN for SSN price.

Left a real sour taste in French mouth though, given this approach could have been done from start and open bid done regarding that.

But in the end there is anglo-saxon alliance stuff going on....French can't really break that.
 
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