CTV News in Türkiye: Bombardier gets a boost as benefits of Canada’s sub choice are revealed

ANKARA, Türkiye - Canada’s defence minister says a proposed submarine deal with Germany could allow NATO allies to share crews across a larger fleet, with several countries operating the same class of submarine.

“My understanding is in choosing the German-Norwegian manufacturers, there’s a degree of interoperability that’s inherent in the choice,” David J. McGuinty said while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO leader’s summit in Ankara on Tuesday.

“It means that we can each share crews, for example, on the submarines,” he said.

Ahead of the NATO summit on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the Canadian government has chosen a German company to build Canada’s new submarine fleet with the first four deliveries expected by 2034.

The move means Germany’s TKMS will now enter negotiations with Canada to build up to 12 new state-of-the-art submarines.

One of Canada’s largest military procurements, the 12 vessels are meant to replace Canada’s current fleet of four British-made Victoria-class submarines, which have been plagued with issues since they were purchased in 1998. Only one of the four submarines is considered fully operational.

Along with procuring the submarines, Canada’s project involves paying for 30 to 50 years of maintenance. The contract over its entire lifespan, has an estimated value of more than $100 billion.

NATO gives Canada a boost with GlobalEye selection

NATO, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday it will begin negotiations to acquire up to 10 Saab GlobalEye airborne surveillance aircrafts. It’s a move that provides a significant boost to Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier, whose Global 6500 business jet serves as the platform for the system.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte made the announcement at the alliance summit in Ankara, saying the aircraft will replace NATO’s aging Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet. Eleven countries, including Canada, are participating in the joint procurement effort.

“This will ensure we keep NATO’s owned and operated surveillance and early warning capability strong and credible for decades to come,” Rutte said.

The announcement comes weeks after Carney said Canada was entering negotiations with Saab to purchase up to six GlobalEye aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

NATO said the GlobalEye system will provide surveillance across air, land and sea from a single platform and improve the alliance’s ability to detect and track threats including drone swarms, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

The GlobalEye combines Saab’s radar and sensor technology with Bombardier’s Global 6500 aircraft, which is manufactured in Canada.

“I think it’s a very big step forward,” McGuinty said. “It indicates that there’s an interest in a product that Canada is looking at building.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Saab CEO and President Micael Johansson said he is “confident that GlobalEye is the right choice for the alliance” and he looks ”forward to the next steps in negotiations.”

McGuinty also announced on Tuesday that eight countries are committing to support the Canada-led Defence, Security and Resilience Bank: Albania, Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania, Turkiye and Ukraine.

The bank aims to provide “long-term, low-cost financing” for defence projects by NATO members and allies.

Canada was selected in April to host the bank, while several Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa, are vying to have the bank hosted in their city.

With files from CTV News’ Stephanie Ha and Annie Bergeron-Oliver