Canadian Victoria-class Subs to get new U.S.-Built Bow Array

Delphinus Engineering Inc., based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $14.5 million contract to develop, fabricate, produce, integrate, and test a new sonar array and lift system for Canada’s Victoria-class submarines.

According to a Department of War contract announcement, the award includes Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds fully allocated to Canada and may grow to $36.9 million if all options are exercised. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., is overseeing the contract, identified as N00024-26-C-6103.

The Victoria-class submarines are Canada’s only operational submarine fleet and play a central role in the country’s maritime surveillance and defense. The contract specifically supports the bow array and lift system — core components of the submarines’ sonar suite used to detect, classify, and track underwater threats.

Work will be conducted entirely in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by July 2030. FMS funds totaling $14,549,938 will be obligated immediately and will remain active beyond the current fiscal year.

The Victoria-class boats, originally built in the U.K. as Upholder-class submarines and transferred to Canada in the late 1990s, have undergone modernization and system upgrades over the past two decades. The new bow array system is expected to improve their detection range, responsiveness, and situational awareness.

Delphinus Engineering, a company with a track record of naval systems integration and modernization, has previously supported U.S. Navy programs in sonar array systems, hull maintenance, and platform lifecycle engineering.