River-class Destroyer

Current status

Canada’s River-class destroyer program has entered construction, with the first ship’s keel laid and major equipment orders moving into production. As of 14 September 2026, the latest confirmed shipbuilding milestone is the 12 June 2026 keel laying of the future HMCS Fraser at Irving Shipbuilding’s Halifax yard. This followed production-test-module work in June 2024 and full-rate production beginning in April 2025. The ceremony was a construction milestone, not a delivery or entry into service; the government continues to expect Fraser in the early 2030s. (National Defence, 12 June 2026)

The program, previously called Canadian Surface Combatant, envisages 15 ships. Its first contracted construction batch comprises Fraser, Saint-Laurent and Mackenzie. It will replace the capabilities of the four retired Iroquois-class destroyers and 12 Halifax-class frigates with a common class, combining fleet air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and support to forces ashore. The distinction between the planned fleet and the three-ship implementation contract is fundamental to assessing both supplier opportunities and government commitments. (DND, briefing for 4 December 2025; RCN fleet profile)

Operational requirement and configuration

The Royal Canadian Navy describes River-class as its future principal surface combat capability, able to operate independently or within Canadian and allied task groups. Its missions extend from high-threat combat and escort duties to surveillance, interdiction and sovereignty enforcement. Published particulars are 151.4 metres in length, 7,800 tonnes displacement, 27 knots, 7,000 nautical miles range and accommodation for 210 personnel. These are design specifications, not demonstrated sea-trial results. (Royal Canadian Navy, fleet profile)

The current public equipment baseline is the RCN’s May 2026 factsheet and its HTML version updated on 1 June. It identifies Lockheed Martin’s SPY-7 radar, Aegis with Lockheed Martin Canada’s Canadian Tactical Interface, Cooperative Engagement Capability, 24 Mk 41 vertical-launch cells, Standard Missile 2 and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, Rolling Airframe Missile close-in defence, Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile and Tomahawk naval fires. It also lists a BAE 127 mm main gun, two 30 mm mounts, Mk 54 torpedoes, a CH-148 Cyclone and space for remotely piloted systems. Listing a weapon in the planned fit does not establish the quantity purchased, delivered or available for operational use. (RCN factsheet, 1 June 2026)

A significant recent selection is Thales S2087 towed sonar, announced on 28 May 2026 under a Lockheed Martin Canada contract. This CAPTAS-family system is also used by the Royal Navy and selected for Australia’s Hunter class. Thales says Canadian partners will support maintenance and upgrades. Ultra retains separately documented work in the program, including torpedo defence. (Thales, 28 May 2026)

The equipment baseline has changed since earlier announcements. MBDA announced a Sea Ceptor contract in April 2021, while Leonardo announced four OTO 127/64 Vulcano guns that month. The current RCN fit instead names RAM and a BAE gun. The public factsheet contains an apparent mark-number error for that gun; its precise designation remains unclear in that record. (MBDA, 19 April 2021; Leonardo, 22 April 2021; RCN factsheet)

Canadian Tactical Interface (CTI) is derived from Lockheed Martin Canada’s CMS 330. In a 2024 technical account, senior combat-systems engineer Commander Bobby Gilpin explained that CTI connects non-US equipment to Aegis and manages underwater warfare, exchanging tracks and engagement orders with the wider system. Janes’ January 2025 reporting continued to identify that integration role. This explains the Canadian software contribution within the combined combat system. (Gilpin, Maritime Engineering Journal, Spring 2024, pp. 15–16; Lockheed Martin; Janes, 31 January 2025)

Procurement and design history

The competitive selection concerned the warship design and design team within Irving’s shipbuilding program. Lockheed Martin Canada’s Type 26 proposal became the preferred bid in October 2018; the definition contract was awarded on 7 February 2019 and announced the next day. The initial Irving contract was $185 million including taxes, to grow as design advanced. The government then anticipated three to four years of design work and construction in the early 2020s. Those expectations have been overtaken by the subsequent program schedule. (PSPC, 8 February 2019)

The other formal competitors were Alion’s proposal derived from Damen’s Dutch De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate and Navantia’s F-105-based design, with Saab Australia as combat-systems integrator and CEA Technologies providing radar technology. They are historical alternatives, not continuing candidates. Naval Group and Fincantieri also offered a FREMM solution outside the tender, which Ottawa declined to accept through that route. (Vanguard, 11 December 2017; Navantia, 22 June 2018; Naval Today, 6 December 2017)

Timeline and milestones

Timeline sources: DND project chronology, updated 3 October 2025; PSPC program record, updated 14 August 2025; Hartlen Point release; OSI production award; Thales selection; Irving keel-laying record.

Industrial structure and confirmed participation

Irving remains the shipbuilding prime. BAE supplies the underlying Type 26 design and, under its March 2025 agreement with Irving, build-phase support and consultancy informed by the British and Australian programs. Canadian customization and system integration make River-class a distinct implementation rather than a direct reproduction of a British ship. (BAE Systems, 17 March 2025)

This supplier map extends beyond hull fabrication. For example, Score’s Newfoundland operation received an $89 million valve contract in May 2025. OSI’s May 2026 production announcement followed a separate December 2025 implementation award: suppliers can therefore enter manufacturing, installation, training and support phases on different dates. Contract announcements should not be counted as entirely new program spending when they represent work flowing through an existing prime contract. (Irving, 12 May 2025; OSI, 11 December 2025; OSI, May 2026)

Kongsberg Maritime’s propeller work illustrates the international supply chain. The company told Janes that hubs and blades would be manufactured in Europe, with assembly and final ship integration in Canada. Earlier Irving contracts covered stabilizers, steering equipment, rudders and replenishment-at-sea equipment. (Janes, Neil Dee, 22 September 2025)

The Industrial and Technological Benefits policy requires business activity in Canada equal to applicable contract value. Irving’s separate National Shipbuilding Strategy value proposition requires 0.5% reinvestment in workforce, technology and industrial development. Neither figure measures the proportion of ship components manufactured domestically. (DND, 8 March 2025)

Cost and funding

The frequently cited program totals measure different things. All figures below are Canadian dollars; the older whole-fleet envelope and PBO estimates are not a newly negotiated price for all 15 ships.

Sources: DND implementation announcement; DND program costs; PBO fiscal analysis, 27 October 2022.

The PBO’s $306 billion is a multi-decade ownership estimate, not a construction contract. Its model assumed 30-year ship lives and disposal stretching to 2080–81. The equipment fit and construction arrangements have evolved since that 2022 estimate. Multiplying the first-batch cost by five would likewise produce an unsupported whole-fleet estimate: batch-specific support, development and production learning prevent a simple extrapolation. (PBO report, pp. 3–7)

A further comparability issue is shore infrastructure. DND’s March 2026 capital-project report says infrastructure supporting River-class was removed from the program’s direct scope under authorities established in 2025. It is now part of wider naval infrastructure modernization, and the report says an effective funding and management strategy still requires urgent development. Changes in accounting scope therefore need to be tracked alongside headline cost changes. (DND, 13 March 2026)

What officials are saying

Public statements emphasize both urgency and domestic capacity. At the 12 June keel laying, then-RCN commander Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee described the destroyers as urgently needed for Canadian waters and interests. Defence Minister David McGuinty linked the milestone to stronger national resilience and domestic shipbuilding. Those statements establish the program’s political and military importance; delivery confidence still depends on design closure, equipment integration, shore readiness and sustained production. (DND, 12 June 2026)

Construction, readiness and next milestones

Design and construction overlap. DND uses a zonal approach in which mature hull and platform sections enter detailed design and production while more complex parts continue through design. The published overall targets remain first delivery in the early 2030s and final delivery by 2050. DND’s current project record does not give a separate date for initial operational capability. Delivery and operational readiness are separate milestones. (DND program record)

BAE’s 30 July 2026 interim report describes Critical Design Review as progressing. DND’s 2026–27 work plan calls for that review, continued Hartlen Point construction and initiation of Batch 2 long-lead procurement, with final design review likely in 2028. These records support continued engineering work; they do not substantiate claims that the entire ship design is complete. (BAE, 30 July 2026, p. 17; DND capital-project plan)

At Hartlen Point, PCL is building the facility intended to integrate and commission combat systems before ship installation. DND’s January 2026 announcement targeted early 2028 completion; Defence Construction Canada’s April update instead identifies mid-2028 and reported the steel structure about 85% complete. The later target is the more useful planning reference. The facility is an integration asset, not a weapons-firing range. (DND, 19 January 2026; DCC, April 2026)

Integration work also extends to Moorestown, New Jersey. Janes reported in January 2026 that an RCN Aegis integration centre was being established inside the US Navy’s Combat Systems Engineering Development Site. A US$63.8 million Foreign Military Sales contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in September 2023 covered the Canadian Aegis land-based test site in New Jersey. This is a separate integration location from Hartlen Point; neither award nor construction reporting establishes completed testing. (Janes, 27 January 2026; US Department of Defense, 18 September 2023)

For industry, the immediate watchpoints are Batch 2 long-lead awards, completion of subsystem production, combat-system integration and a revised whole-fleet cost baseline. For the RCN, the decisive transition will be from a ship under construction to a tested ship with trained personnel and funded support. These are program dependencies identified in this analysis.

Sources

All sources accessed 14 September 2026. Source dates below distinguish contemporary reporting from historical selections and older estimates.

1. Department of National Defence. Canada celebrates keel laying for the first River-class destroyer. 12 June 2026.
2. Department of National Defence. Government of Canada announces contract award for the construction of the River-class destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy. 8 March 2025; contract dated 3 March.
3. Royal Canadian Navy. River-class destroyer. Undated fleet profile, accessed at cutoff.
4. Royal Canadian Navy. River-Class Destroyer Fact Sheet. HTML updated 1 June 2026; accompanying PDF dated May 2026.
5. Thales. Thales and Lockheed Martin Canada Advance Canada’s Defence Capabilities with S2087 Sonar for River-class Destroyers. 28 May 2026.
6. MBDA. MBDA’s Sea Ceptor ordered for Canadian Surface Combatant. 19 April 2021; historical equipment selection.
7. Leonardo. Leonardo fornirà sistemi navali per il programma Canadian Surface Combatant della Marina canadese. 22 April 2021; Italian-language primary release, historical gun selection.
8. Public Services and Procurement Canada. Government of Canada selects design for Canadian Surface Combatants. 8 February 2019.
9. Marcello Sukhdeo, Vanguard. Alion confirms submission of its proposal for CSC. 11 December 2017.
10. Navantia. Navantia team submits proposal for CSC. Page dated 22 June 2018; historical F-105 proposal.
11. Naval Today. Canada brushes off outside, fixed-price FREMM frigate offer for Canadian Surface Combatant project. 6 December 2017.
12. Department of National Defence. River-class Destroyer Project. Updated 3 October 2025.
13. Public Services and Procurement Canada. River-class destroyer (Canadian surface combatant). Updated 14 August 2025.
14. Irving Shipbuilding. Keel Laid for first River-Class Destroyer – The Future HMCS Fraser. 12 June 2026.
15. BAE Systems. BAE Systems and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. sign contract for next phase of Canada’s River-class destroyer programme. 17 March 2025.
16. Ultra Maritime, via PR Newswire. Ultra Maritime Awarded CA$89 Million Contract for Surface Ship Torpedo Defense for the River-Class Destroyer Program. 17 March 2025; company-issued release.
17. OSI Maritime Systems. Lockheed Martin Canada Awards OSI Maritime Systems the IBNS Production Contract for the First three River-Class Destroyers. Published 27 May, updated 28 May 2026.
18. MDA Space. MDA Space awarded $60 million for next phase of River-class destroyer. 24 June 2025.
19. L3Harris. Irving Shipbuilding Awards L3Harris latest Canadian Surface Combatant Contracts. 25 June 2024.
20. Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce to provide power, handling system for Canadian River-class destroyers. 28 May 2025.
21. Wajax. Wajax announces 2025 fourth quarter and annual results. 2 March 2026.
22. SEA. Lockheed Martin Canada Awards SEA Canada with Implementation Phase Contract for River-class Destroyers. 16 March 2026.
23. CAE. 2026 Annual Information Form. 11 June 2026, fiscal-year highlights describing 29 September 2025 subcontract.
24. Fleetway. Navy Projects. Undated company project page.
25. Trident Staff. “Nova Scotia company tapped for River-Class Destroyer training programs.” Trident, 23 February 2026, p. 2.
26. Irving Shipbuilding. Newfoundland-based Score awarded an $89 million contract to support the construction of River-class destroyers for Canada’s Navy. 12 May 2025.
27. OSI Maritime Systems. Lockheed Martin Canada Awards OSI Maritime Systems with the Implementation Phase Contract for the First Three River-Class Destroyers. 11 December 2025.
28. Carleigh Busby, Albert Kho and Christopher E. Penney, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The Life Cycle Cost of the Canadian Surface Combatants — A Fiscal Analysis. 27 October 2022; full report.
29. Department of National Defence. Status report on transformational and major capital projects, 2026–27 Departmental Plan. 13 March 2026; River-Class Destroyer section.
30. BAE Systems. Half-yearly Report 2026. 30 July 2026, p. 17.
31. Department of National Defence. The Department of National Defence begins construction of the Land-Based Test Facility at Hartlen Point in Eastern Passage. 19 January 2026.
32. Defence Construction Canada. Construction underway on Land-Based Test Facility. April 2026.
33. Department of National Defence. Standing Committee on National Defence: Supplementary Estimates (B), December 4, 2025. Briefing prepared for 4 December 2025, published in 2026; River-class Destroyers section.
34. Richard Scott, Janes. FMS deal funds continued Aegis design and integration for Canada, 31 January 2025. Public excerpt; CTI integration role.
35. Commander Bobby Gilpin. Aegis Integration in Canada’s Surface Combatant Program — A Revolutionary Increase in Maritime Capability, Maritime Engineering Journal No. 107, Spring 2024, pp. 13–17. CTI architecture; historical equipment table is not used as the current fit.
36. Lockheed Martin Canada. CMS 330, undated, accessed at cutoff. CTI’s relationship to CMS 330.
37. Richard Scott, Janes. Canada starts work on River-class destroyer land-based test site, 27 January 2026. Public excerpt; Moorestown integration work. Later official records govern Hartlen Point’s schedule.
38. US Department of Defense. Contracts For Sep. 18, 2023, 18 September 2023. Canadian Aegis land-based test-site award.
39. Neil Dee, Janes. Kongsberg Maritime to supply fixed-built propellers for River-class destroyers, 22 September 2025. Public excerpt; company-attributed manufacturing and assembly workshare.
40. Kongsberg Maritime. Kongsberg Maritime signs contracts with Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to supply propulsion for the River-class Destroyer program, 2025 archive; exact publication date not displayed. Batch 1 propellers and component delivery forecast.
41. Ultra, carried by EDR Magazine. Ultra secures follow-on order for Canadian Surface Combatant Hull Mounted Sonar from Lockheed Martin Canada Inc., 4 October 2022. Company-origin announcement of initial production; distinct from the later towed-sonar selection.