What should Canada’s next submarine fleet actually deliver? In this piece, Maral Hamzehloo examines how the selection of Germany’s TKMS could help close a critical undersea capability gap within the Canadian Armed Forces. She argues that the fleet could strengthen maritime awareness, deterrence, Arctic operations, and Canada’s contribution to continental and North Atlantic defence. However, its effectiveness will depend on whether Canada can sustain, crew, and integrate the new submarines over the long term.
Author: Maral Hamzehloo
HIMARS and the Sovereignty Challenge Facing the Canadian Armed Forces
Why is Canada buying HIMARS? In this piece, Maral Hamzehloo examines how Canada’s acquisition of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) addresses a critical capability gap within the Canadian Armed Forces and supports Ottawa’s commitment to fielding a combat-capable brigade in Latvia. As HIMARS becomes NATO’s standard long-range fires platform, the system also strengthens interoperability with key allies. However, she argues that the capability’s effectiveness remains tied to access to U.S.-produced munitions, support networks, and industrial capacity. Drawing on recent examples involving Estonia and Ukraine, she contends that Canada should pair the acquisition with stronger munitions resilience, expanded allied procurement mechanisms, and greater domestic industrial participation to ensure the capability can be sustained during a major crisis.


