Canada invests billions in new submarine fleet to secure arctic

On Wednesday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced that the Canadian government will order up to 12 new conventionally powered submarines capable of operating under ice. The government unveiled a new strategy and plans to spend over CAD 8 billion on defense.

"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," Blair said.

The Ministry of Defense is currently meeting with potential partners and manufacturers. The tender announcement is expected to be published this fall.

The statement did not provide the planned value of the order. Still, the Canadian Navy aims to be able "to detect and deter threats from the sea, control maritime approaches, project forces, and strike capabilities farther from the coast, and design sustainable deterrence capabilities on all three coastlines." The suppliers' goal is for the submarines to be difficult to detect, armed with lethal weapons, durable, and operable in the Arctic, including the capability for long-range missions.

The media reminded the Canadian Navy that it had four submarines purchased from the British Navy in the 1990s. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on repairs, and the prolonged repairs have been the subject of much critical comment from Canadian media in recent years.

At the beginning of April, the federal government announced a new defense strategy, planning that Canada will spend over CAD 8 billion over the next five years and CAD 73 billion over 20 years. Military presence in the Arctic will be increased, with China, Russia, and autocratic regimes identified as threats. The strategy is called "Our North, Strong and Free," a reference to the words of the Canadian national anthem.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized that Arctic ice is melting due to climate change, and the Northwest Passage could become the best route for ships between Europe and Asia by 2050. Pointing out new threats from Russia, the strategy highlighted the importance of Canadian defense in the Arctic, noting that Canada's north simultaneously constitutes the western and northern flank of the Alliance. The first expenditures listed in the strategy are "ensuring Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic and northern regions."

According to government calculations, the defense spending-to-GDP ratio will increase to 1.76 percent within five years. Currently, Canada spends almost 1.4 percent of GDP on defense. In 2015, when the current ruling team of liberals won the election, Canada spent about 1 percent of GDP on defense.