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.
The Royal Canadian Navy is not looking at the option of nuclear submarines despite earlier suggestions by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the contrary.
The navy has been focused on the potential acquisition of convention-powered submarines for the past several years to eventually replace the existing Victoria-class submarines, according to emails from National Defence to this newspaper.
“The RCN is completing an analysis of conventional submarines that meet Canada’s requirement to patrol all three of its oceans,” National Defence spokeswoman Frédérica Dupuis confirmed in the latest email.
Bill Blair, the federal defence minister, made a rare admission of Liberal fallibility in Washington on Monday when he said he regrets using the word “explore” when talking about renewing Canada’s submarine fleet.
Ottawa’s recent defence policy update said the government will “explore options for renewing and expanding the submarine fleet,” a form of words that was criticized for lacking urgency.
“It’s certainly not my intention to be wishy-washy. What I’ve tried to articulate very, very clearly and strongly in the document is, we know we have to replace our submarine fleet, and we’re going to do that,” Blair said .
The Canadian military is weighing how many and what kind of “optionally-crewed” warships it will need in the future as drone technology and artificial intelligence change the face of naval combat, says the commander of the navy.
Vice-Admiral Angus Tophee told CBC News that while navies will always need large combat surface ships and submarines, Canada’s allies have started to experiment with automated vessels.
