Initial construction is beginning on a new fleet of warships for the Royal Canadian Navy in Victoria, British Columbia. The vessels are expected to be operational by 2035, with construction work starting at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company will build the warships, with Lockheed Martin Canada providing the design based on the BAE Type 26.
The Canadian Surface Combatant Project will see the construction of 15 warships classified as destroyers to replace the current fleet of Halifax-class frigates. The first ship is not expected to be delivered until the early 2030s, with the full fleet of nine ships set to be delivered by 2040 and the last by 2050.
Concerns have been raised about the lengthy construction schedule, with worries about ongoing maintenance issues for the aging Halifax-class frigates. The project is budgeted at CAD $56-60 billion, but a separate examination by the Parliamentary Budget Officer put the cost at CAD $84 billion.
Despite concerns, senior officials are pushing forward with the project, taking tangible steps towards future fleet modernization. An implementation contract is expected to be signed by the end of the year to allow for full-rate production to begin in 2025.
