Babcock Canada is recognized as a global leader in submarine sustainment and is Canada’s submarine in-service support partner delivering program management, maintenance, engineering, and supply chain management support for the fleet of Victoria class submarines.
The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) presents a transformational opportunity for Canada to evolve its sovereign submarine sustainment enterprise.
BY SHELDON GILLIS
The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) offers a transformational opportunity for Canada to deliver its evolving ambitions for national defence and economic resilience. However, the acquisition of next generation submarines is only the first stage. In order to truly realize the full benefits from the project the enduring sustainment solution must be considered at the outset and enabled by amplified collaboration between industry and government.
Submarines are well established as being among the world’s most complex engineering assets, delivering a force multiplier that can support Canada’s sovereign responsibilities. As a result, delivery of associated through-life sustainment solutions are unique and complex. The CPSP presents Canada with the opportunity to evolve its sovereign submarine sustainment enterprise and take advantage of an international knowledge pool and user community.
Babcock is recognized as a global leader in submarine sustainment and is Canada’s submarine in-service support partner delivering program management, maintenance, engineering, and supply chain management support for the fleet of Victoria class submarines. This knowledge and expertise enables informed discussions with the CPSP potential builders, which will help Canada establish the industry foundations that will ultimately ensure CPSP is setup to deliver successful and enduring service to Canada. The following provides a snapshot of just some of these considerations.
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INTEGRATED MAINTENANCE
Key factors such as regional economic development, access to skilled labour, training resources, infrastructure requirements, and connections to supply chain and innovation hubs will all play an important role in shaping successful programmatic outcomes such as platform availability. Building a nationwide integrated maintenance enterprise will improve both affordability and resilience and will take investment and commitment that should start in parallel to the submarine build program.
Leveraging Babcock’s knowledge of submarine sustainment and Canada’s evolving expectations from its submarine capability, Babcock is undertaking a system of systems approach to the development of an optimal sustainment solution. Establishing the right plan for maintenance infrastructure will be a critical component that requires early attention. In examining potential submarine maintenance sites for infrastructure suitability to offer viable locations for Canada’s consideration, it has been necessary to work with various stakeholders to understand aspects such as workforce capabilities, demographics that include labour availability, and cost, as well as cost of living. Further, the impacts on the Royal Canadian Navy personnel involved in the submarine enterprise are a critical consideration.
When Canada selects its submarine sustainment sites, it will ultimately be creating long-term economic opportunity and employment stability within those regions. Canada already offers several viable locations where there is a highly skilled labour force with the specialized engineering disciplines required to deliver submarine maintenance.
The role of the fleet maintenance facilities, already a strategic sustainment capability for Canada, is also critical in supporting the current and future fleets. Investments in training and infrastructure will strengthen Canada’s existing submarine industrial base, including the Fleet Maintenance Facilities, and contribute to generating new marine industrial capabilities in Canada.
Babcock works side-by-side with Canada’s naval fleet maintenance facilities to deliver submarine sustainment. Most recently, joint-maintenance delivery projects have included HMCS Victoria’s repair work period and HMCS Windsor’s extended docking work period. In addition to maintenance delivery, Babcock and the Fleet Maintenance Facilities are collaborating on submarine work period planning, including HMCS Corner Brook’s work period, to provide increased maintenance delivery assurance. Further enhancing this integrated and collaborative approach to maintenance planning and delivery will prove to be essential in meeting the total maintenance demands of the future fleet.
SUPPLY CHAINS
The CPSP offers significant opportunity for regional economic development and will contribute to Canada’s increased NATO spending commitments. In-service support and infrastructure represent significant portions of the overall project value. The regional economic benefits of the CPSP will extend beyond the physical infrastructure sites, materializing throughout the extensive national supply chain and labour forces required to deliver a holistic submarine sustainment enterprise.
As Canada procures a larger and even more technologically advanced class of submarines, the growth of the existing industrial base will support a seamless transition from the current to the future fleet. Babcock has experience working with Canada to transition significant elements of the legacy Victoria Class submarine supply chain from overseas into Canada, developing a network of over 450 Canadian suppliers from coast-to-coast. The CPSP will increase opportunities for new and existing small and medium-sized businesses to join Canada’s submarine industrial base and contribute to Canada’s economic resiliency.
COLLABORATIVE SUSTAINMENT
The most critical element to the programmatic outcomes of the CPSP is the ability for defence and industry sustainment partners to work together to deliver a strong submarine capability for Canada. Whether at the dockyards, within the national supply chain, or through infrastructure development, the CPSP will create employment opportunities for Canadians for generations to come. Moreover, the investment into submarines will generate operational availability of Canada’s most potent asset working to defend the nation’s interests. It is vital that the plan for sustainment is front and centre for the CPSP as it moves from requirement to reality.
Sheldon Gillis is Campaign Lead – Canadian Patrol Submarine Project at Babcock Canada. Article Sponsored by Babcock Canada.
