KI also stands for Kiel. And TKMS is developing AI-supported capabilities for the Canadian submarine programme in this very capital of Schleswig-Holstein.

To this end, the Kiel-based company is cooperating with the Canadian company Cohere. The company, which specialises in AI in the defence sector, is headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco and has offices in London, New York, Montreal, Paris and Seoul.

The co-operation agreement includes decision support tools for on-board information management, training and secure marine-specific interfaces. This demonstrates TKMS' commitment to long-term involvement in the race for German-Canadian co-operation. The partnership will focus on research, prototyping and evaluation activities. Both organisations emphasise that all AI-enabled capabilities will meet the Royal Canadian Navy's stringent safety, compliance and operational requirements.

By touting the combination of TKMS' proven submarine technology with Cohere's AI technology in this agreement, TKMS shows that it wants to be a partner throughout the entire life cycle of its platforms with a continuous supply chain. During a visit to Canada in October, German Defence Minister Pistorius also recently advocated closer naval cooperation, including a FüWES (command and control/weapons deployment system).