ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) a leading European systems house providing submarines and naval surface ships and Canada’s procurement agency, PWGSC, have signed a contract in Hamburg for a multiphase design study for the Canadian Navy’s next generation Joint Support Ship (JSS).
As part of a major fleet renewal program, Canada plans to replace its two Auxiliary Oil Replenishment (AOR) vessels with two or three Joint Support Ships. One possible design for the new JSS is a version of the German Navy’s latest Berlin Class Task Group Supply Vessel (EGV) specifically modified to meet Canadian requirements. The agreement between PWGSC and TKMSC includes the provisions for a licensing agreement for the use of the EGV design for the construction in and deployment of the ships by Canada should the EGV design be selected.
The modified design, to be developed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada (TKMSC) in close cooperation with Blohm + Voss Naval (BVN), a strongly positioned professional naval systems engineering house, will be considered alongside an in-house design, being developed by the Department of National Defence (DND), the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and BMT Fleet Technology in Canada.
Should the TKMS modified Berlin Class EGV design be chosen, the award of a contract for the functional design is planned, which would be used for the construction of the ships by a Canadian shipyard.