Halifax shipyard cutting steel as navy aims for first new destroyer operating by 2035
HALIFAX — The Irving shipyard in Halifax is cutting steel for Canada’s new destroyers, though the navy says it will be about a decade before the first 8,000-tonne vessel joins military operations.
At an announcement today in Halifax, the 15 warships received their official designation as River class destroyers, named after the warships Canada used during the Second World War.
On Thursday, federal procurement officials said the final, detailed contracts for the first three destroyers haven’t been signed yet with Irving — and won’t be formally awarded until late 2024 or early 2025.
The final design of the ships isn’t complete but early production of steel plates has begun in order to keep the project moving ahead.