Canada and its industry partners are presented a transformational opportunity that will ensure Canada has available and highly capable submarines for generations to come.
By Newell Durnbrooke
As Canada continues to advance the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), the procurement of 12 new submarines offers a promising opportunity to enhance Canada’s military and economic resiliency. Canada and its industry partners will be able to draw from the lessons learned from the Victoria Class submarines to position the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project for a successful entry into service, delivering operational capability to Canada.
For over 17-years, Babcock has been Canada’s partner in submarine in-service support as the Prime Contractor on the Victoria In-Service Support Contract. Babcock has been engaged in CPSP procurement conversations and advocating for the importance of establishing the in-service support contract concurrent to the build contract.
Tony March, CEO, Babcock Canada. Tony March served 21 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy and is a recognized submarine sustainment subject matter expert.
To learn more, we sat down with Babcock Canada’s CEO, Tony March. Tony served 21 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy. In 2003, Tony volunteered for Submarine Service and served at sea as a Marine Systems Engineering Officer on HMC Submarines Victoria, Windsor, and Corner Brook. Posted to Ottawa, he held a variety of staff positions, culminating as the Deputy Director, Maritime Engineering Program Management (Submarines). Tony joined the Babcock team in 2018 and assumed his current role of CEO in March of this year.
The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project is one of the largest conventional submarine procurements in modern history. What makes the procurement of the new fleet such a transformational opportunity for Canada?
As geopolitical tensions around the globe continue to intensify, the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project offers a transformational opportunity for Canada to strengthen its defence and security. Canada has the largest coastline in the world, and our naval strength comes from our ability to monitor and protect our borders both above, on, and below waters.
Following recent investments in the Royal Canadian Navy’s surface fleet, both combatants and non-combatants, submarines are next in line for capability renewal. The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project investment will recapitalize and grow a critical naval capability, enabling the Royal Canadian Navy to confidently detect and deter threats, control our maritime approaches, including the Arctic, and project power further from our shores.
The new fleet will also bring significant economic opportunities and investment into Canada. To support a fleet of twelve modern submarines, regional investments in infrastructure, workforce development, and supply chain will be necessary. This will open opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to leverage their technologies and capabilities to support the defence sector and ultimately contribute to Canada’s economic resiliency.
The project will also greatly support Canada’s NATO spending commitments and enhance our ability to support our allies in our collective defence objectives.
Babcock has been a strong advocate of ensuring sustainment is at the forefront of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project’s procurement process. Why is this so important?
With the Victoria Class submarine acquisition, there was a significant effort required to generate and deploy the expertise and industrial capacity needed to sustain a more complex submarine. The Victoria Class is not operated by any other Navy, and as such, the ability to collaborate with partners and allies to solve technical or obsolescence issues was not an option. Canada and its industry partners have risen to the challenge and advanced our collective sustainment capabilities, including a highly skilled submarine industrial base and Canadian supply chain. For Babcock, the Victoria In-Service Support Contract contributed immensely to the vast and unique knowledge we now have in Canada and our ability to integrate new technologies and capability upgrades into a complex platform.
As we look toward the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, Babcock believes that the submarine builder should have an enduring and complementary role to further enhance Canada’s sovereign sustainment capability. The opportunity to have Canada, the submarine builder, and an experienced Canadian submarine in-service support contractor start working together through the build program will ensure Canada is best prepared to sustain its future fleet and deliver operational availability.
To successfully deliver and operate a fleet of this size from coast to coast to coast, significant investment and commitment will need to be made while the chosen submarine platform is being built. Access to skilled-labour and dedicated submarine infrastructure are key drivers in the development of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project sustainment solution. To enable a successful entry into service for Canada’s 2035 delivery timeline the sustainment solution must be at the forefront of the procurement process.
The government of Canada and Department of National Defence have stated that the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project will transform how Canada sustains its submarine fleet. As the Prime Contractor of the Victoria In-Service Support Contract, what does this mean to you?
As the Prime Contractor, we have worked with our partners and side-by-side with the Canadian Government and their partners to deliver the only industry-led submarine in-service support program in Canada. This experience comes with valuable insights and lessons learned that can be directly applied to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project to ensure not only an efficient procurement but also effective through-life sustainment of the new fleet.
Availability and accountability are two fundamental requirements that must factor into the future enterprise design. A driving force for all sustainment partners must be ensuring the submarines are ready and capable when the Navy needs them. That unifying purpose with the right accountability measures is essential.
The concept of the Victoria In-Service Support Contract was a forward-thinking model at the time of inception and while there were challenges in its implementation across the enterprise, the knowledge and experience gained will be invaluable in setting up the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project for success. Babcock is leveraging the experience we’ve gained supporting the Victoria Class submarines and the lessons learned are being leveraged to not only continue to improve the outcomes for the Victoria Class, but also to deliver a stronger sustainment enterprise for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.
The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project sustainment solution will be designed to meet the needs of the future Navy. Having benefited greatly from our shared experiences in delivering the Victoria In-Service Support Contract, Canada and its industry partners are presented a transformational opportunity that will ensure Canada has available and highly capable submarines for generations to come.
What experience and knowledge can Babcock contribute to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project?
Babcock brings a deep understanding of submarine maintenance and systems engineering to Canada’s sustainment enterprise. Our highly skilled and specialized team combines the best of Canadian talent and in-country expertise with deep global submarine sustainment knowledge and experience from our operations supporting NATO and allied countries.
With over 40-years of experience, Babcock is also a world leader in the design and manufacture of Weapons Handling and Launch Systems, integrating more weapon payload types than any other organization in the world. Our work internationally allows us to leverage best practices in sustainment and explore how to deliver a balanced sustainment model for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.
Through the Victoria In-Service Support Contract, Babcock has developed an unparalleled specialized workforce leading three deep maintenance and refit periods on HMCS Chicoutimi, HMCS Corner Brook, and currently, HMCS Victoria. We are also proud of our ability to integrate with and deliver support and capacity to Canada’s Fleet Maintenance Facilities when needed. Currently, we are supporting Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott with HMCS Windsor’s Extended Docking Work Period in Halifax. Throughout the Victoria In-Service Support Contract, Babcock has also led the establishment and development of a vast network of over 450 suppliers across the
country.
By actively growing Canada’s workforce, prioritizing skills development, and championing research and development initiatives, Babcock has been working to ensure the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of Canada’s submarine sustainment enterprise. Our experience has garnered invaluable insights and new capabilities which can be translated to the new fleet of submarines and will ensure a skilled workforce is prepared, equipped, and trained for their arrival in the
2030s.
