Ottawa, July 7 -- Canada has selected Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the preferred supplier to build a new fleet of up to 12 submarines in what the federal government described as the largest defence procurement in the country's history.

The government said it aims to finalise a contract by the end of 2027, with the first four submarines expected to enter service in 2034.

The submarines will be based on TKMS' Type 212CD design, jointly developed with Germany and Norway.

The procurement comes as Canada seeks to strengthen its military capabilities amid growing geopolitical tensions and increasing strategic competition in the Arctic.

According to a statement, Ottawa has committed to significantly increasing defence spen...