Not only should we accept this deal, we need to partner with SK on making nuclear subs, which is something they want, and potentially Australia will also want since the US Virginia-class deal appears to be increasingly in doubt for them. We need them domestically for arctic operations, and nuclear technology would also be a huge benefit for the icebreaking fleets that we also need. This is an area where Canada could leverage our nuclear expertise and become one of the world leaders. Maritime nuclear power is an area we can expect rapid growth in, China is even attempting it for superlarge civilian container ships. The only major players in this field at the moment are the US, Russia, China and France. That only leaves one reliable supplier, and as much as France might like to they can’t realistically ramp this capability up quickly enough to corner the whole market. We should step up to be the alternative.
Not only should we accept this deal, we need to partner with SK on making nuclear subs, which is something they want, and potentially Australia will also want since the US Virginia-class deal appears to be increasingly in doubt for them. We need them domestically for arctic operations, and nuclear technology would also be a huge benefit for the icebreaking fleets that we also need. This is an area where Canada could leverage our nuclear expertise and become one of the world leaders. Maritime nuclear power is an area we can expect rapid growth in, China is even attempting it for superlarge civilian container ships. The only major players in this field at the moment are the US, Russia, China and France. That only leaves one reliable supplier, and as much as France might like to they can’t realistically ramp this capability up quickly enough to corner the whole market. We should step up to be the alternative.