Canada has selected TKMS as preferred supplier for negotiations on up to twelve conventionally powered submarines, while defining public operational, schedule, sustainment, and Canadian industrial-participation objectives.
Canada requires a future submarine fleet able to operate at long range and endurance, including under ice, while supporting surveillance, deterrence, and sovereignty missions across Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific approaches.
Source-backed fact
What success looks like
Deliver an initial submarine in 2034 and build toward a fleet of up to twelve interoperable conventionally powered submarines without creating a capability gap as the Victoria class retires.
16 reviewed assessments
Organizations with technology that may be relevant
Each connection pairs the organization-specific reason it may be relevant with the public evidence that supports it.
TRAPS is a family of variable-depth active-passive sonars for surface ships and uncrewed platforms. Its reelable vertical projector array shares a single tow arrangement; organic, containerized and USV configurations allow different integration footprints. Processing can be operated locally or connected to a ship combat-management system.
Reviewed connection
TRAPS Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
AML combines interchangeable calibrated sensor heads, multiport instruments and moving-vessel deployment systems for water-column measurement. X2change heads retain calibration across compatible instruments; AML-1/3/6 provide different sensor capacities. The supplier gives MVP30 V2 51 m profiling at eight knots and MVP30-350 V2 121 m at that speed, with 185 m and 440 m cables respectively. MVP Roam is a separate vertical-profiling configuration rated by AML to 60 m with up to four parameters. A NOAA-hosted 2021 survey report documents older MVP30-350 sound-speed acquisition and Ethernet/UDP delivery into survey software.
Reviewed connection
Swappable oceanographic sensors and profilers may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
AML Oceanographic presents Canadian sensor, profiling, and moving-vessel systems for sound velocity, conductivity, temperature, depth, turbidity, and other water-column measurements.
Kraken SAS is intended to give an underwater vehicle both seabed imagery and bathymetry from the same payload. The family uses configurable arrays and onboard processing, with exports including XTF and GeoTIFF for subsequent survey work. The published integration data also specifies nominal 24–60 VDC power and 4 TB onboard storage.
The differences between variants matter. MP-SAS is the smaller package for low-logistics UUV work: its table lists 300 m depth and up to 100 m per side. Larger selected flooded configurations offer 6,000 m depth ratings, while the SAS-120 table changes range with survey speed. Combining the smallest package, deepest rating and widest swath into a single specification would misdescribe the offering.
Kraken’s named orders include Teledyne Marine and Terradepth integration work. They establish a commercial route into vehicles and survey services; the exact array, depth housing, power budget and processing interface still belong to the individual installation.
Reviewed connection
Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
Kraken states that Kraken SAS performs imaging and bathymetric mapping simultaneously with modular arrays, constant swath resolution and real-time full-swath processing.
NORTAC WAVE provides satellite-connected tracking and two-way messaging linked to TITAN. The partner catalogue specifies reporting intervals from 15 seconds, a glove-operable screen and a 300 g IP67 device. NORTAC packages WAVE, NTAC and related equipment in Team Deployment Kits with airtime, platform access, training and support.
Reviewed connection
NORTAC WAVE and NORTAC TACTICAL may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
The cited product or program source supports the architecture, features, applications, and bounded capability summary recorded for NORTAC WAVE and NORTAC TACTICAL.
KATFISH is a survey package built around keeping the sonar stable while the vessel moves. Articulated tailfins and an autopilot stabilize the towbody; the winch, tow cable and launch-and-recovery system connect it to the vessel. Kraken offers compact USV and ISO20 handling arrangements for different host platforms.
The company’s feature sheet distinguishes 3 cm by 3 cm imagery available in real time from 2 cm by 2 cm post-processed imagery, with a listed 200 m range on each side. At the SEFINE RD-22 demonstration, Kraken reports that the live feed reached operators ashore for contact classification. Its subsequent MOU discusses further mission-planning and automatic-recognition development, rather than establishing that all of those functions were already operational.
Integration also includes storage and data movement: the sheet lists 28 TB topside storage, gigabit Ethernet and common survey exports including XTF and GeoTIFF. Maximum sensor figures do not establish the radio-link capacity or environmental envelope of a particular installation.
Reviewed connection
KATFISH Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
Telesat Lightspeed is a planned LEO satellite network for broadband connectivity, including military Ka-band service in the Arctic. Optical inter-satellite links are intended to move traffic through the constellation, with landing stations, points of presence and customer connections linking users to terrestrial or private networks. The August 2026 Arctic award expanded the planned constellation to 225 satellites.
Canada's C$2.3 billion base contract before tax with Telesat LEO ULC covers military Ka-band service from 65 to 90 degrees north, scheduled for 2028. Two optional five-year periods are valued at C$214 million and C$218 million. Telesat states that the 500 MHz Mil-Ka addition replaces an equivalent amount of commercial Ka-band user-link spectrum while leaving gateway spectrum unchanged. The separate MDA-led UHF/X-band procurement and a further end-to-end Mil-Ka integration agreement should not be folded into this base service award.
A usable mission connection will depend on the terminal, network access path and supporting ground integration. Telesat publishes a terminal ecosystem and has used LEO 3 for demonstrations and terminal testing; individual products remain at different certification and integration stages. The September 2026 Cailabs collaboration concerns optical-connectivity studies and demonstrations, while the Kongsberg letter of intent concerns evaluating Lightspeed within defence platforms and architectures. These are development pathways around the planned network, with configuration-specific acceptance still ahead.
Reviewed connection
Telesat Lightspeed secure Arctic connectivity may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
The official announcement supports secure Mil-Ka connectivity from 65 to 90 degrees north plus integration, terminals, ground infrastructure, training, and support, subject to definitive agreement.
ISE Explorer is a modular autonomous underwater-vehicle family configured for survey and sensor collection, with depth variants from 300 m to 6000 m. Its payload architecture accommodates sonar, multibeam, sub-bottom profiling, cameras and environmental sensors, with high-speed Ethernet access to data and upgradeable vehicle sections.
Reviewed connection
Explorer AUV may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and Arctic and northern operations.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
International Submarine Engineering · official company product
ISE describes Explorer as a flexible long-range autonomous underwater vehicle and cites a continuous unsupervised under-ice survey exceeding ten days and one thousand kilometres.
RBR supplies modular oceanographic sensors and loggers. Generation 4 compact loggers add flexible configurations and exchangeable sensors on selected models, while standard loggers support larger multi-channel packages. The RBRcoda OpH measures optical pH through a sensitive foil and is oriented toward moorings; its pressure, salinity and response-time conditions matter alongside its 6,000 m housing rating. RBR’s separate barometric logger operates at the surface and supports post-recovery atmospheric correction of underwater pressure data.
Reviewed connection
Oceanographic sensor and logger portfolio may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
RBR presents Canadian-built oceanographic sensors that measure temperature, depth, salinity, dissolved gases, pH, and other parameters from deep ocean to polar environments.
Gastops supports equipment-health decisions through MetalSCAN online wear-debris sensing, ChipCHECK analysis of collected chips, and FluidSIGHT marine oil-condition monitoring. These distinct workflows combine sensing and diagnostics with engineering and maintenance services. ChipCHECK has named engine-application validation; FluidSIGHT is supported by ongoing trials and a federal testing contract.
Reviewed connection
Critical component condition intelligence may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
The cited capability source describes critical component condition intelligence and the concrete features and applications summarized in this candidate.
MAD-XR is CAE’s compact, non-acoustic magnetic sensor and processing/interface system for airborne detection and localization of submerged metallic threats. Aircraft-specific interference management and mission-system integration govern its use. CAE reported first production systems delivered to Mitsubishi Electric after Customer Source Inspection in May 2023 for new JMSDF P-1 aircraft. Sikorsky documents MH-60R mission-computer integration and a 28-kit US Navy contract allocated across Australian, US and evaluation use; its May 2026 completion target is not confirmation that every kit was delivered.
Reviewed connection
MAD-XR Magnetic Anomaly Detection may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
CAE's official product page describes MAD-XR as a highly sensitive compact digital magnetic-anomaly-detection sensor for submarine detection, with reduced size, weight, and power for maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, RPAs, and small fixed-wing platforms.
Irving's Halifax shipyard builds ice-capable patrol vessels through modular construction, outfitting, integration and trials. DND records delivery of all six naval AOPS by August 2025. Two additional Coast Guard variants have a different mission-system fit and remain a separate construction and acceptance programme; naval deliveries do not establish their completion.
Reviewed connection
Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship construction may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
Public Services and Procurement Canada · government service page
The cited official portfolio material supports the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship construction capability family and its described delivery scope; product and platform availability remains configuration-dependent.
L3Harris WESCAM supplies stabilized electro-optical and infrared imaging systems for aircraft, maritime and land platforms. Surveillance models, designating D-series products and other configurations have different functions. March 2026 CMX-8 selection for MDA Space's RCN ISTAR UAS programme is a specific integration milestone, while a separate 2025 P-8 order documents another customer programme.
Reviewed connection
WESCAM MX electro-optical and infrared sensors may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
The cited official portfolio material supports the WESCAM MX electro-optical and infrared sensors capability family and its described delivery scope; product and platform availability remains configuration-dependent.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
JASCO combines underwater acoustic instruments, onboard processing and analysis services. OceanObserver processes and streams selected data from buoys, gliders and cabled platforms; AMAR G4 is optimized for autonomous recording. These roles differ in power, storage and communications requirements. JASCO describes Slocum glider integrations for environmental acoustic measurements and UWSU transient-detection and ownship-noise work. DND identifies JASCO as a UWSU subcontractor, supporting the programme relationship without establishing current fleet-wide acceptance.
Reviewed connection
Underwater acoustic defence systems and analytics may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
Envoy, formerly Solus-LR, is a configurable fuel-cell or battery AUV for survey, inspection and sensor deployment. Cellula reports a DRDC-owned hydrogen vehicle completing 2,023 km over 385 hours fully submerged. The vendor overview specifies a 500 L flooded payload bay and 2,000 m depth, but the current specification table describes different mass/depth variants. Trial performance and catalogue limits require a defined energy, payload and vehicle configuration.
Reviewed connection
Envoy Long-Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
MDA CHORUS combines the operating RADARSAT-2 asset with planned C-band and X-band SAR satellites. On September 16, 2026, MDA introduced COMMAND for archive access, planning and tasking, COMMAND PRO for a customer-integrated regional ground station, and INTELLIGENCE for geospatial analytics. The new satellites remain scheduled for launch in late 2026. The advertised 700 km broad-area swath and sub-metre spotlight resolution describe different imaging modes, not simultaneous performance from one acquisition.
Reviewed connection
MDA CHORUS Synthetic Aperture Radar Constellation may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations, Arctic and northern operations, and detection and situational awareness.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
L3Harris Canada's Mirabel operation provides aircraft engineering, structural modification, avionics upgrades and mission-system integration. Its fighter-centre account links those services to CF-18 life extension and other Canadian fleet work. The 2024 F-35 depot strategic-partner selection is a separate future-support position, not evidence that a Canadian F-35 depot is already fully operational.
Reviewed connection
Military aircraft missionization may help teams working on Future submarine operational capability by contributing to maritime and undersea operations and detection and situational awareness.
The cited official portfolio material supports the Military aircraft missionization capability family and its described delivery scope; product and platform availability remains configuration-dependent.
Defence Investment Agency · government service page
Canada identifies long range, long endurance, under-ice operation, surveillance, deterrence, Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific missions as public capability needs for the future fleet.
Evidence limits
Evidence limits
An empty result means the research is incomplete, not that Canada lacks relevant technology.
Public statements do not establish procurement timing, budgets, eligibility, or endorsement.
Every future assessment must remain source-linked and open to editorial review.
Defence Signals
Developments connected to this Defence need
The next defence race runs through the gate
Eight developments show the same shift: capability is being judged at the gate between promise and use. Montreal-made navigation hardware has entered production reservations; Canada's drone lab has specified its heavy-lift test stack; icing trials and a U.S. flight exemption are advancing Canadian aircraft. Optical networking, targeting systems, hypersonic testing and submarine rescue are moving through integration, production and mobility checks.
The advantage now sits in the handoff. A strong component must become an integrated system, a prototype must clear qualification, and a deployable capability must arrive with the logistics, training and authority to operate. Canadian teams should identify which gate they can help a program cross, then assemble the test evidence, partners and operating proof before requirements harden.
The public record does not establish broad adoption, field performance or Canadian access to the allied systems. Several developments are pre-orders, an advance notice, early tests or collaboration plans. Watch for completed purchases, certification results, demonstrated interoperability, accepted production systems and exercised rescue arrangements before treating progress as operational capability.
Connected item: Submarine rescue proves readiness rides on airlift
Continue from the defence need into the evidence graph
Follow reviewed organization connections, Mission areas derived through named capabilities, the focused map, and direct or clearly labelled derived editorial paths.
Organizations
Profiles that provide the strongest reviewed or discovery-led continuation.
