TKMS and Seaspan Shipyards Sign Teaming Agreement to Support Sovereign Sustainment for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project
Press Release + Noah Note
TKMS and Seaspan Shipyards have signed a Teaming Agreement to collaborate on supporting the Government of Canada in achieving a sovereign sustainment capability for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
As part of this agreement, TKMS and Seaspan will work with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Department of National Defence to establish a Canadian-led integrated sustainment enterprise team.
The collaboration combines TKMS’s global submarine lifecycle expertise with Seaspan’s established Canadian sustainment capabilities, with additional export potential linked to TKMS’s international programs.
Ottawa, January 29, 2026 – TKMS and Seaspan, Canada’s largest shipbuilding, design, and repair company, have signed a Teaming Agreement to collaborate in support of the Government of Canada’s objective to achieve a sovereign capability for the sustainment and through-life support of naval ships. The collaboration focuses on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) with potential further opportunities arising from TKMS’s international customers and programmes.
This agreement is the latest in a string of teaming agreements signed by TKMS with Canadian industry partners to reinforce the company’s commitment to support Canadian jobs, growth, and sovereignty. Canada has identified a critical priority for the CPSP project to establish a sovereign sustainment capability for the future submarines on both the west and east coasts of Canada.
This capability integrates the Royal Canadian Navy, the Maritime Equipment Program, the Fleet Maintenance Facilities and Canadian Industry. Under the agreement, TKMS and Seaspan intend to work together as an integrated team with Canada to develop and deliver capabilities that ensure effective sustainment and lifecycle support of future submarine platforms in Canada, with an emphasis on maintaining operational readiness and supporting the Royal Canadian Navy’s requirements.
“We are pleased to join forces with Seaspan, a company with deep experience in ship sustainment and a strong Canadian industrial footprint,” said Thomas Keupp, Chief Sales Officer at TKMS. “This teaming agreement reflects our shared commitment to long-term support excellence and aligns with the objectives of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, ensuring that Canadian naval platforms are supported by robust, reliable, and sovereign sustainment capabilities throughout their life cycle.”
The collaboration is intended to leverage Seaspan’s extensive naval and submarine in-service support expertise, workforce and existing Canadian submarine supply chain, together with TKMS’s proven submarine engineering and global sustainment experience, to establish a comprehensive approach to through-life support that benefits the CPSP and helps grow Canada’s domestic naval sustainment enterprise.
The agreement also contemplates opportunities for export support, drawing upon TKMS’s broad international customer base. The teaming agreement underscores both organizations’ commitment to supporting Canada’s future submarine fleet and maximizing the long-term value and availability of these critical assets.
“The CPSP is one of the highest priorities for the long-term defence and security of Canada’s sovereignty,” said John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. “As the only shipyard in Canada with submarine maintenance expertise, Seaspan is well-positioned to deliver on the decades-long sustainment of this new fleet and to contribute meaningfully to this country’s maritime defence industrial base. We are excited to partner with TKMS on this critical capability for Canada and we look forward to working closely with their team and the Royal Canadian Navy, the Maritime Equipment Program and the Fleet Maintenance Facilities to build a truly Canadian submarine sustainment program.”
About TKMS
TKMS is one of the world’s leading naval companies with more than 9,100 employees (including temporary workers) at three shipyards in Kiel, Wismar and Itajaí (Brazil), and with locations worldwide. The company is active as a systems supplier for submarines and naval surface vessels as well as for maritime electronics and security technologies. Around 3,300 employees work at the Kiel site, making it the largest shipyard location in Germany. 185 years of history and the constant striving for improvement allow the company to set new standards time and time again.
TKMS offers its customers worldwide tailored solutions to meet the highly complex challenges of a changing world. The driving forces behind this innovative energy are the company’s employees, who shape the future of TKMS with passion and commitment every day.
More information at: www.tkmsgroup.com
About Seaspan Shipyards
Seaspan Shipyards is Canada’s largest ship design, engineering, building, sustainment and repair company. As the only Canadian shipyard company with deep submarine experience, expertise, workforce and supply chain, the West Coast submarine sustainment facilities provide mission-critical maintenance and support to Canada's naval fleet including Canada’s current submarines through highly specialized workforce, exceptional quality and deep Canadian supply chain.
With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of over 5,000 in North Vancouver and Victoria, Seaspan is a trusted and strategic partner on a range of complex projects for both the government and the private sector.
Learn more at: www.seaspan.com
Noah Note: Here I was yesterday saying wr could expect news from TKMS this week and they go ahead and do it the day after. This is the first shipyard agreement that we've had during CPSP. Obviously a major moment for the project. Wheile we have had rumors for a while that TKMS and Seaspan would be eorking on CPSP, we've never had any official word until now.
TKMS and Seaspan have a well-established relationship through the Joint Support Ship project. The two have experience working deeply with eavh other on complex projects, so I always expected them to link up fairly quickly, quicker than we got but still.
Of course Seaspan is also a member of Team Victoria-class and maintains Canada’s premier submarine maintenance facilities (put the trademark here) in Victoria. They aint new to the game, and honestly we're basically garunteed something. However it's nice to see some locking down. I expect we'll see a lot more in the coming weeks.
How does this work with the selection of the subs themselves? Does this dissolve if the Korean subs are chosen? Or is this an advance tell on the selection process?