Irving Shipyard in Halifax officially began construction of the first of Canada’s 15 new River-class destroyers with a ceremony that brought together thousands of tradespeople and dignitaries Friday.
The keel-laying ceremony also recognized other milestones, such as the delivery and launch of the country’s final Arctic and offshore patrol ship.
“Fifteen years ago, the Government of Canada made a commitment to build ships in Canada, and here, we are finally at the culmination of the starting part of that journey,” said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Royal Canadian Navy Commander.
The River-class destroyer has been an integral part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy since 2011. It’s the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada and comes with a price tag between $56 and $60 billion.
Irving Shipbuilding was first selected as one of two principal shipyards for the strategy back in 2011, along with Seaspan Marine in Vancouver
The construction of the first three ships has been contracted out to Irving and has generated billions in labour income.
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“It shows what is possible here in Canada — build at home, with our own tradespeople,” Irving Shipbuilding CEO Jim Irving said. “It’s good for Canada. This is what Canada needs to be doing.”
The 15 warships will replace the Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class frigates as the country modernizes its defence fleet.
The Department of National Defence says the destroyers will be able to deliver decisive combat power while conducting counter-piracy and counter-terrorism operations.
“The River-class destroyers can have a radar that can see into space, missiles that can reach the edge of space, it’s going to have a full spectrum of capability,” said Topshee.
“So it will be part of integrated air and missile defence for Canada, so protecting ourselves from all the threats. It will still be a very capable anti-submarine warfare ship and whenever we need to contribute abroad.”
As part of the ceremony on Friday, a commemorative coin was welded into place in the ship’s hull as a symbol of good luck — a tradition that dates back to Roman times.
The first ship, HMCS Fraser, is expected to set sail in the early 2030s but the Royal Canadian Navy is hoping to expedite its construction.
“The world’s a pretty uncertain place right now,” said Topshee. “We’ve already retired the four destroyers that this is part of the replacement for. The faster we can get warships back out on the waters, the modern ships Canada needs, the better off we’re going to be.”
The federal government expects nine vessels by 2040, coming in small batch orders of several at a time. The full order of 15 destroyers is projected for completion by 2050.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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