Canada’s minister of national defence Bill Blair has announced the award of an implementation contract to Irving Shipbuilding for construction of a new class of destroyers, to be known as the River class. The River-class destroyers will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers and 12 Halifax-class frigates with a single ship that can handle multiple threats. At present, 15 examples of the vessels are expected to be built.
The design is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 warship, which is being built by the UK for the Royal Navy, a variant of which is also being built for Australia as the Hunter-class frigate. The first three Canadian ships will be named Fraser, Saint-Laurent and Mackenzie.
The new vessels will have a length overall of 151.4m, a beam of 20.75m and a speed of 27knots. They will displace 7,800tonnes, have a maximum navigational draught of 8m and a range of 7,000nm. With accommodation for 210 personnel, they will have the capability to embark a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, plus space for embarking remotely piloted systems.
The new destroyers will use a variant of the Aegis combat system with Cooperative Engagement Capability, and will be equipped with lightweight torpedoes, the Rolling Airframe Missile air defence system, two stabilised rapid-fire 30mm naval gun systems and surface-to-surface anti-ship missiles. Their primary air defence system will take the form of vertical launch systems for the Raytheon Standard Missile 2 and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles. They will have reconfigurable mission and boat bays and a combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) propulsion system based on a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, four Rolls-Royce MTU diesel generators and GE electric motors.
The initial implementation contract is for an agreed contract period of six years, with a contract extension to follow as the successful construction progresses.
The Government of Canada has established the cost to build and deliver the first three ships at C$22.2 billion (US$15.4 billion). This estimate includes the costs that will be paid to Irving Shipbuilding through the implementation contract, as well as costs associated with the delivery of the equipment, systems and ammunition that Canada will acquire to bring the first three ships into service. It is estimated that the implementation contract will contribute C$719.3 million annually to Canada’s GDP and create or maintain 5,250 jobs annually between 2025-2039.
“By investing in our own industry, Canadian workers are helping to build the fleet of the future, equipping the Navy and our members in uniform modern and versatile ships they need for Canada’s important contributions to peace and security at home, and abroad,” said Blair.
To help bring the River-class vessels into service and support them throughout their lifecycle, the Department of National Defence (DND) is building a land-based testing facility on a portion of DND-owned land in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with completion expected in 2027.
