Canada has agreed to join an existing German-Norwegian submarine partnership, with Kiel-based manufacturer TKMS (Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems) contracted to build 12 submarines for Canada in addition to six each for Germany and Norway. The announcement was made alongside a joint declaration by the three countries' leaders at the NATO summit in Canada, cementing what analysts describe as a long-term strategic, security, and industrial alliance focused on the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Security expert Robin Marc Allers of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies says the deal reflects both Canada's need to replace an ageing fleet of just four barely operational submarines and broader allied efforts to monitor the GIUK gap (the strategically critical maritime corridor between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK through which Russian submarines can reach the North Atlantic), particularly as US engagement in the region comes under question.