Babcocks In-service Contract for Victoria Subs Extended 6 Years

HMCS Windsor seen in the harbour in Halifax on June 25, 2021. The Canadian Press/Andrew VaughanThe federal government has awarded Babcock Canada a six-year extension on its servicing contract for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria-class submarines.The contract is valued at $1.1 billion and includes options to extend the in-service support through the fleet’s end of life, as the navy transitions to new submarines.Canada’s fleet of four Victoria submarines is expected to be retired in the mid-2030s.Prime Minister Mark Carney announced earlier this month Canada’s preferred bidder for its next fleet of subs will be a German-Norwegian partnership.Carney says German shipbuilder TKMS could supply Canada with as many as four of its 212CD submarines by 2034.One of Canada’s Victoria submarines, the HMCS Corner Book, is meantime currently out at sea, taking part in the Rim of the Pacific international naval exercise with allies off the coast of Hawaii.