Ottawa 'probably' will announce winner of submarine contract this year: MP

Submarine contract this year

Photo: The Canadian Press

Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state (Defence Procurement), leaves following a press conference regarding the Defence Investment Agency in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The federal government may name the winner of the heated competition to supply the navy with a fleet of new submarines as soon as this year.

Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defence procurement, says Ottawa will "probably" announce a winner this year — and declared the vessels will be in the water by 2032.

He made the comments today before a House of Commons committee meeting, adding the government needs to quickly start building new infrastructure so it is ready for the new boats when they arrive.

Canada is in the market for a new fleet of up to 12 new submarines — a massive, multi-billion-dollar contract.

The Royal Canadian Navy is in a race against time to replace its four rapidly aging Victoria-class submarines within the next decade.

The Liberal government last year narrowed the prospective bidders to two finalists, South Korea's Hanwha Oceans and Germany's TKMS.