The Canadian shipyard building the navy’s new destroyers and the British defence contractor responsible for the basic design recently signed a collaboration contract, marking the next step forward in the multibillion-dollar program that the federal government has largely wrapped in secrecy.
Much of the program’s plans and costs remain shrouded in mystery and obfuscation — including precisely how much each of the first three warships will cost.
OTTAWA – The federal Liberal government signed an initial deal with Irving Shipbuilding for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new River-class destroyers.
The implementation contract is worth $8 billion for the first six years and only covers part of the tab for the first three ships — which will eventually cost $22.2 billion.
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee hailed it as a major step forward for the project meant to replace the Navy’s aging destroyers.
Irving? Good choice.
Leaks, ineffective anchors, mechanical breakdowns among ongoing problems facing new Arctic patrol ships
The opening of a Canadian naval refuelling facility in the Arctic scheduled for later this year now appears to be in limbo.
The Nanisivik Naval Facility was announced in 2007 by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a new docking and refuelling installation that would support Royal Canadian Navy ships in Arctic operations. It was envisioned as operating year-round with a deep water port and airstrip to boost Canadian sovereignty in the region.
WTF??
A joint German-Norwegian project to build new diesel-electric submarines is pitching Canada to join the program, with one of the selling points being that Ottawa would get early access to a boat on the initial production line so it could meet targets for acquiring these new vessels.
In September, Canada formally began looking for up to 12 new under-ice capable submarines, as part of an effort to demonstrate to NATO members that Ottawa is boosting defence spending.
OTTAWA — The Canadian military’s infrastructure in the Arctic is “limited and deteriorating” and will soon reach a “rust-out” stage unless action is taken to stop it from getting worse, according to a new first-of-its-kind evaluation of the armed forces’ operations in the region.
The report from the Department of National Defence raises concerns about a lack of strategic direction for the military in the Arctic that could hamper future planning. It describes shortages of personnel and resources that require the Canadian Armed Forces to rely heavily on contractors for planes and over-the-snow vehicles for its largest annual exercise in the region. It also highlights how aging northern radar stations leave gaps for detecting potential threats that aren’t set to be addressed until new infrastructure is ready in the early 2030s.
Canada’s top sailor says he’s confident our navy can stop Russia or China if they send ships through the strategically vital Northwest Passage without asking for permission.
“We wouldn’t need the allies to come to our aid. We could deal with it ourselves,” said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee.
“We have the capacity to deploy our ships up there right now to stop them.”
The Royal Canadian Navy plans to replace its official march with a new composition after deciding the lyrics, which celebrate British military victories in the colonial era and sing of men but not women, are disrespectful and outdated.
Heart of Oak, which is inherited from Britain and dates back to 1759, before Canada’s Confederation, is played at Royal Canadian Navy parades and mess dinners.
I’m going to practice my Chinese.
The difficulties encountered in building Canada’s new supply ships is behind much of the almost billion dollar jump in price for the two vessels, federal statistics show.
The actual construction of the two Joint Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy was supposed to cost taxpayers around $2.5 billion but last month the federal government revealed that cost had now jumped to $3.4 billion.
With an aging and depleted fleet, Canada’s navy is unlikely to strike much fear in the hearts of its adversaries these days.
But a new government plan to purchase 12 modern, non-nuclear submarines that could do service under the Arctic ice has suddenly made Russia sit up and take notice.
The cost to build the navy’s often-delayed, long-anticipated supply ships has shot up once again — this time by almost $1 billion — the federal procurement department announced Friday.
Successive federal governments have tried for almost two decades to deliver joint support ships (JSS) to the navy — vessels used to replenish warships at sea.
After years of delay, the Liberal government awarded Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. a build contract in June 2020 for two ships — HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver — at an anticipated cost of $2.44 billion.
This is how Liberals make money.
Facing mounting criticism for failing to meet the NATO defence-spending target of 2 per cent of the GDP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has announced the planned acquisition of up to 12 under-ice capable submarines to patrol the Northwest Passage and the broader Arctic region.
Wait, sorry – what’s that feeling I’m having? It must be déjà vu.
One of the Royal Canadian Navy’s newest ships is sitting in a U.S. port awaiting repairs because of flooding and mechanical problems.
HMCS Max Bernays, one of the new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), is now in Pearl Harbor as specialists try to figure out how long it will take to be repaired, sailors have told this newspaper.
The ship was delivered in 2022 to the navy by Irving Shipbuilding.
A Canadian shipyard has cut the first steel for a new class of missile-armed destroyer for the Royal Canadian Navy. The 15 planned River-class warships should massively boost the Canadian fleet’s surface firepower – although not very soon.
But the new destroyers won’t do anything to solve what is arguably the Canadian navy’s biggest problem – its almost complete lack of submarines.
The timing of the announcement could be an attempt to blunt criticism of Ottawa’s defence spending
Canada definitely plans to move forward with the purchase of new submarines, the federal government announced on the margins of the NATO Summit on Wednesday.
Up to now, the government has spoken only about the possibility of replacing the aging Victoria-class boats. But in the face of mounting criticism of Canada’s defence spending by allies — notably the United States — Ottawa has given the proposal the green light.
A senior government official, speaking on background, said they could not confirm how much the plan will cost, how many boats will be purchased or when they will arrive.
I smell bullshit.
Work is starting on Canada’s newest warship fleet even though government officials acknowledge they don’t have a final cost for the multi-billion dollar project or a final design.
Defence Minister Bill Blair and Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, the head of the Royal Canadian Navy, announced Friday that construction will begin for a test module for the first Canadian Surface Combatant or CSC. Eventually 15 such warships will be produced to replace the current fleet of Halifax-class frigates.
