The federal government has finalized a contract with Irving Shipbuilding to build two additional Arctic and offshore patrol ships for the Canadian Coast Guard, the first of which is expected to be completed within four years.
Ottawa estimates the project will cost around $1.6 billion with the first ship arriving between 2026 and 2027.
Irving was first awarded the contract to build the two ships in 2019, but it was only recently finalized, according to CBC News. The company previously won a Canadian government contract in 2011 to build six combat ships and 15 larger Canadian surface combatant ships.
“These vessels will be dedicated to a range of critical missions,” says a federal government web page, citing North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) patrols, and will “operate as the primary conservation and protection enforcement vessels on Canada’s east coast, replacing existing Coast Guard offshore patrol vessels.”…