They don't need attack subs. They need boomer subs. At this point, Canada needs a nuclear deterrent. And I say that as an American who would be in the cross hairs of said nuclear deterrent. Canada should contract with the French for protection under their umbrella until they can build some of their own. The lesson of Ukraine should be that nukes protect small nations from fascist larger ones. Canada could easily end up like Ukraine. It's not like fascists can't find a casus belli. Putin was "restoring Russian glory" or some such. Trump would be "finishing the American Revolution" or some other bullshit.
Please, Canada, from a friend of yours to the south, do not take this threat lightly. No one is going to be able to save you if the US decides to invade. The same oceans that protect you will prevent your rescue. The only hope Canada will ever have of being able to militarily protect its borders from the US is a credible nuclear deterrent.
Just please, don't harden your hearts while you build these weapons of destruction. Don't close your doors to refugees from the US. As someone who is on the regime's enemies list, hopping across the Canadian border and begging for asylum is the last chance I might have if things really go bad.
I mean, they're not mutually exclusive. Nobody was about to start openly threatening the Americans, but having French forces around and mulling over defence deals with France sends a signal.
We don't know what Macron and Trudeau talked about, but accelerating things like this in light of the new reality could well have been part of it.
You're right, thanks for adding context. I'm immediately suspicious when a picture is posted with no accompanying news article, and my search wasn't turning up any articles, only social media links.
IIRC only 2 out of the 9 french subs in service exclusively carry torpedoes and anti-ship missiles (Rubis class). I'm sure the 3 Suffren class with no second strike capabilities could still deliver some sort of short ranged tac nuke. So there are high chances that this is a submarine that can nuclear-attack.
Hijacking the top comment to let people know this isn't in response to any American threats, this is Naval Group, a French naval defense company, showing off their submarine because Canada is looking to spend 60 billion on twelve submarines. The plans for this purchase were publicly announced on July 10, 2024.
Ah shit, that's the same company Australia had a deal with to buy diesel subs, before our fuckwit former PM reneged on the deal to create AUKUS and buy American nuclear subs.
To be accurate, this is a nuclear propelled attack submarine. It does not carry nuclear warheads and is not what we normally call a "nuclear deterrent".
Important note: The "Nuclear" in "Nuclear attack submarine" means that it is powered by a nuclear reactor. It does not refer to its armament. An "attack" submarine means it is designed to attack ships and other submarines and these are typically not capable of carrying and launching ICBMs. Nuclear-armed deterrent submarines are called Ballistic Missile Submarines.
Here's a French article about it. It's not a show of force, it's a naval defense company showing off their submarine in the hopes of being granted a 60 billion dollar contract for 12 submarines that the Canadian government announced last summer.
During a period with seemingly very little good news in the world, I really needed this. Assuming it was done for the optics it conveys, it's some much needed reassurance that our allies actually have our back. Granted, we're still absolutely fucked in the short term if the worst happens, it's still nice to see.
Despite the clear evidence pointing to the image being old, the photograph is still circulating on social media platforms and has been featured in Google searches related to the supposed annexation threat. This highlights how misinformation can easily spread online, especially when fueled by sensational claims and misleading images.
An article using random reddit comments as a source should be outright ignored, IMO.
Especially when said reddit comment has since been edited and no longer reflects what's written in the article. If you bother to follow the reddit link in the article, you'll find someone has replied with an actual source (from France) that shows that the photos are legit, however the title of this post (and the original posts on reddit) are misleading.
This isn't in reaction to American threats, it's a French naval defense company showing off their submarine in the hopes of obtaining a 60 billion dollar contract for twelve submarines that the Canadian government announced last summer.
What the fuck would Canada, a non nuclear weapons country, want a nuclear sub for? Diesel battery subs are inherently stealthier because you can't turn a nuclear reactor off to go quiet and they don't need to stay submerged forever to hide where ballistic missiles are and they're not going to be power projecting to keep Iceland from sending another landing party with Erikson. It's not like Canada doesn't have an abundance of ports for refueling or a military vulnerability to oil embargos. It's not even compatible with their primary method of nuclear fuel since it requires nearly weapons grade refined uranium and the whole point of CANDU heavy water reactors is to not refine.
It's a French sub though so it probably only fires gag missiles that just have a white flag on a stick at the tip.
Jokes aside can you smoke on a sub? Cause I know a lot of the French still habitually smoke cigarettes and I imagine that would do a number on the oxygen system. Let alone the dangers of possibly setting fires in a pressurized container deep underwater.