At Canadian Patrol Submarine Project: Update 1. of November 24, 2023 https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2023/11/canadian-patrol-submarine-project.htmlI asked what were the three decent contenders for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). This was with reference to likely requirements also set out at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2023/11/canadian-patrol-submarine-project.html:
It
is early days with the CPSP team having few staff. This means firm contenders or
a shortlist may not exist well into the 2020s. In the meantime here is my top contender:
South Korea’s (SK’s) Hanwha Ocean (was DSME) KSS-3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSS-III_submarine. Hanwha may already know/hope it is top contender having already signed 4 MoUs with Canadian companies and a Technical Cooperation Agreement with Babcock Canada.
The
KSS-3 is the largest (highest surface displacement) sub being considered.
The KSS-3 Batch-1 already has 3 operational subs. Batch 1s are 83.5m long, 3,358 tonnes surfaced, 10,000nm range, with 50 crew. It has Lead-acid batteries (LABs) and a SK developed fuel cell AIP.
The first (even larger) Batch-2 is under construction,
scheduled to be commissioned in 2026. It is 89m long, 3,600 tonnes surfaced, with Lithium-ion
batteries (LIBs) and AIP. If the RCN (like the RAN) is nervous about the
short track record and runaway heat buildup = fire concerns about LIBs compared to the 120 year record of LABs, then LIBs might be considered a minus. However if Canada sees LIBs as a plus then the Batch-2's AIP and LIBs might be the winning combination.
Some in Canada might be attracted to the still currently named "DSME"-3000 export concept sub. But it may run the risk of being a Canada only orphan design, also displacing only 3,000 tonnes surfaced and the current draft concept doesn’t have VLS.
VLS is seen by the SK and maybe Israeli navies and PLA as attractive in SSKs and essential in Los Angeles (Flights II and III), Virginias, Russian Yasens and emerging SSN designs.
SK, unlike Japan (which might be offering Taigei-class subs to Canada) has a long history of supplying major weapons systems to foreign customers. SK’s Hanwha Ocean (then DSME) built and supplied 2 x Type 209 variant/highly improved Nagapasa-class subs in 2017 and 2018 to Indonesia. Hanwha also supplied the parts of a third Nagapasa-class for assembly by PT PAL, Surabaya Indonesia, commissioned 2021.
Tomorrow I’ll look at how Japan’s Taigei and Germany’s Type 212CD might meet Canada’s likely requirements - previously set out here.