German, Norwegian officials urge Canada to join ‘familiar family’ in buying new submarines [Video]

Senior German and Norwegian defence officials say they’re confident Canada will sign on to the ReArm Europe plan in the coming weeks and such a move will make it easier for the Liberal government to buy new submarines from allies.

Jasper Wieck, the political director of the German Ministry of Defence, and Norway’s program director of submarines, Capt. (N) Oystein Storebo, spoke with CBC News recently about the pitch for Canada to join their existing partnership, in which the two nations are constructing cutting-edge boats that will begin to enter service in 2028.

Competition for the multibillion-dollar defence program is heating up and their remarks come weeks after two South Korean shipyards, in a joint venture, submitted a detailed, unsolicited proposal worth up to $24 billion, to build 12 submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy.  

A number of shipyards in several countries responded last fall to a request for information from the federal government, but only the South Koreans went a step …