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25-58288 Free Running Submarine Model (FRSM)

Buyer
National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
Location
National
Category
Equipment & Machinery
Published
November 5, 2026
Closes
December 1, 2026, 9:00 AM ET (22 days left)

View the official notice

Description

Free Running Submarine Model (FRSM)

The National Research Council of Canada’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre (NRC-OCRE) has a requirement for one (1) Free Running Submarine Model (FRSM) for delivery to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The FRSM will support NRC’s submarine hydrodynamics research for current and future submarine designs, enabling comprehensive testing in controlled and free-running environments. NRC encourages innovative solutions and does not prescribe a specific vehicle architecture. Offerors are expected to propose an integrated design that satisfies the operational, performance, and research objectives described in this Statement of Requirement.

Background

NRC’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre (NRC-OCRE) conducts research in submarine hydrodynamics, vehicle dynamics, control systems, and operational safety using physical and numerical modelling techniques. Over the past two decades, NRC has developed and tested several scaled submarine models, including the “Albert” model, a free-running Victoria Class submarine research platform used to investigate hydrodynamic performance, handling characteristics, seakeeping behaviour, near-bottom operations, and related submarine operating scenarios.

The Albert model and associated research programs generated extensive technical data, including hydrodynamic coefficients, vehicle response characteristics, instrumentation approaches, and operational experience with free-running submarine models. Technical reference data associated with the Albert model, including geometry and historical test data, will be made available to the successful Contractor.

Traditional captive models provide valuable hydrodynamic data but are limited to predefined motions and controlled test conditions. NRC requires a Free Running Submarine Model (FRSM) to expand its research capabilities through autonomous and free-running operations. The FRSM will support hydrodynamic, propulsion, autonomy, control systems, and under-ice research while providing a flexible platform that can be adapted to evaluate current and future submarine designs.

The primary research objectives of the FRSM are to:

1. Generate hydrodynamic coefficients and equations of motion for different submarine configurations and operating conditions.

2. Investigate and validate the operating characteristics of current and future submarine designs.

3. Evaluate failure modes, fault responses, and emergency operating scenarios.

4. Assess vehicle control, autonomy, navigation, and mission execution strategies.

5. Support research into under-ice operations, ice interaction, and surfacing-through-ice dynamics.

The FRSM must be delivered with a 1:10 scale hull geometry based on the NRC-provided Albert model, representing a simplified Victoria Class submarine configuration. The platform must also support future reconfiguration to alternative submarine geometries.

To support these objectives, the FRSM must provide the following core operational capabilities:

Capability

Purpose

Free-running autonomous submarine operations Conduct manoeuvring and mission testing without captive restraints

Reconfigurable submarine research platform Evaluate current and future submarine geometries

Hydrodynamic and propulsion data collection Generate hydrodynamic performance data

Autonomous navigation and mission execution Support autonomy, control, and mission-planning research

Under-ice operation and surfacing Support ice-interaction and Arctic research

Please see tender documents for details

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