TKMS

Thomas Rohkamp is head of the German Parliament's Defence Committee.

He was in Ottawa recently for meetings, but also keeping tabs on negotiations between Canada and German shipbuilder TKMS and its Norwegian partner Kongsberg.

Sources tell CBC News Canadian officials have proposed breaking up the multi-billion dollar purchase of 12 submarines into a guaranteed eight boats up front and four down the road.

We hope they will order 12, and we are doing a lot to make the deal real.

Dave Perry is a defense analyst who says breaking up the order makes political and fiscal sense for the government, but it comes with a downside.

If you commit at the beginning to buy the whole enchilada, then you get a much bigger volume economy of scale and potentially greater sway with some vendors and suppliers.

Both TKMS and Canada's Defence Investment Agency declined to talk about the specifics, but said contract talks continue and they're optimistic.

Murray Brewster, CBC News, Ottawa.

And I'm sure there'll be some news out of that about.

Some of the European naval plans and even some of the international ones, you know, companies like TKMS, Saab Group.

You know, that's a market for American companies as well, too, at least on some of the systems that go and weapons that go on on these combatants.

The International Fighter Conference is taking place in Munich on November 3rd through the 5th.

So it's expanding its power along its coastline, and this is where I think Brazilian politics has more of a global impact.

It's contracted four frigates through a consortium that involves TKMS, Embraer, and ATEC.

The first was commissioned in April this year, ordering an additional four.

It's also working with France's naval group to build several submarines, including nuclear-powered submarines.

You know, submarine launch cruise missiles, you have to get rid of them and replace them with new submarines.

So there's a futuristic deal, hopefully not too futuristic, to get TKMS class 214 variant mod submarines.

It'll be very different from the type 214, which is another German submarine.

Project 75I is what it's called.

It's been nine years or so since we inducted the first Scorpene's So, whether we were convinced about the MESMA engines or not is something that needs to be seen.

And yes, we were developing our own option, which is what we're going to get into ultimately.

But the submarines which we are now going to be building in India, the TKMS submarines, the one which is going to cost us 100,000 crore for six, that'll come with its own AIP.

And it's meant to take the conventional submarine game to an altogether different level.

I'm your host, Steve Laterante.

Canada has taken a major step in rebuilding its underwater fleet with TKMS named Preferred Supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.

But choosing a supplier is only the beginning.

As negotiations move forward on the Type 212 CD, the real work is aligning requirements, schedules, infrastructure, training, and long-term support, and building a partnership that can last for generations.

Today, we're looking at what that partnership can mean here at home with TKMS campaign manager Holger Isberg.

TKMS is backing Canadian-led construction and sustainment on both coasts, with the potential to grow a national network of suppliers, contracts, and careers.

The bigger promise is an ecosystem of shipyards, universities, researchers, and innovative firms working across engineering, maintenance, manufacturing, secure digital systems, and new materials.

That ecosystem could keep the fleet ready, shape future naval programs, and give Canada real sovereignty, the ability to maintain its own boats, secure its own supply chains, and act as a partner rather than just a buyer.

So you have to, you know, it's not good enough to upgrade the sonars or the electronics, the fire control system, or, you know, various other systems on board, the periscope systems, the targeting systems, even if you include... submarine launch cruise missiles, you have to get rid of them and replace them with new submarines.

So there's a futuristic deal, hopefully not too futuristic, to get TKMS class 214 variant mod submarines.

It'll be very different from the type 214, which is another German submarine.

Project 75I is what it's called.

And yes, we were developing our own option, which is what we're going to get into ultimately.

But...

The submarines which we are now going to be building in India, the TKMS submarines, the one which is going to cost us 100,000 crore for six, that'll come with its own AIP.

And it's meant to take the conventional submarine game to an altogether different level.

with the chief of defense staff for Canada.

Her visit came three months after Canada picked Germany's TKMS over Hanwha Oceans, so it's an interesting timing to come.

What was her main talking point when you were talking to her? Yeah,

so I did ask her about how Canada Canada's main position and defense policy in enhancing it and integrating its air defense systems is actually working.

They still are.

Yeah, they still are.

And Germany's TKMSB promotion for Canada's submarine deal was like three months ago.

And so it will be interesting to see if they actually mentioned that, the elephant in the room, or will they just move on?