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Canada commits to $15 billion River-class destroyers and infrastructure

17th March 2025 - 09:40 GMT | by Giovanni Rasio, Tony Fyler in London

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An artist's impression of the River-class destroyer. (Image: Irving Shipbuilding Inc.)

The new destroyer programme aims to build 15 new vessels over at least the next 25 years, the first of which should launch in the early 2030s.

Canada has signed an agreement with Irving Shipbuilding Inc (ISI) to begin building three new destroyers for C$8 billion (US$5.8 billion).

The three River-class destroyers, which will ultimately cost C$22 billion with significant infrastructure costs added, will be based on the BAE Systems Type 26 frigate design being used to refresh the fighting capabilities of the UK’s Royal Navy (RN).

The destroyers will act as a replacement vessel for both the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN’s) Iroquois destroyer fleet, and its ageing 12-vessel Halifax-class frigate fleet, built in the 1980s and 1990s, and with an out-of-service date in 2032.

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