By Dan Middlemiss, 30 June 2026
The evaluation criteria that will be the basis for selecting Canada’s new submarine replacement have come to light recently. (see Judy Trinh, "Will the Germans or South Koreans emerge as Canada’s sub deal winner?", www.ctvnews.ca, 29 June 2026, https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/will-the-germans-or-south-koreans-emerge-as-canadas-sub-deal-winner/)
The criteria, with their individual weighting, are reported to be:
“Sustainment (50%): Evaluates long-term maintenance, repair and operational support plans over the submarine fleet’s multi-decade lifespan.
Submarine Platform (20%): Assesses technical specifications, stealth, under-ice capabilities and military performance.
Financial (15%): Covers the upfront capital cost and build budget for the conventionally powered vessels.
Strategic and Economic Partnerships (15%): Measures foreign investment, domestic job creation, and strategic alignment with Canada's geopolitical goals”
Notably, this evaluation framework does not include any reference to early delivery schedule, a concern that Vice Admiral Topshee repeatedly emphasized was a priority concern for the Canadian Navy.
This omission would appear to negate what many thought was a clear advantage for the South Korean bid. While the German bid is said to include a recent pledge to move the delivery of submarines to Canada up in the production queue and ahead of Germany’s and Norway’s own spots, some might question how binding this pledge really is, and whether this remains something that still would have to be negotiated with the three partners – no mean feat.
Despite these criteria, the emphasis the current government is placing upon extracting the maximum possible economic benefits from this procurement program – apparently with the actual bid selection decision only marking the starting point for more intensive negotiations on what these economic benefits will be – one wonders whether the submarine replacement will once more serve primarily as a vehicle for realizing economic objectives rather than one prioritizing national defence requirements.
Image: A photo of a KSS-III Batch I on the left and a rendering of the Type 212 CD on the right. Credit: Republic of Korea Navy, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems
