The Canadian Forces will begin seeking input from local industry partners to determine what the latter can contribute to the construction of a new class of warships optimised for homeland defence.
Industry representatives have been advised that a request for information will be issued to help identify specifications, capabilities and other details in connection with a planned fleet of newbuild corvettes for the Royal Canadian Navy.
The plan calls for the procurement of 16 to 20 corvettes for a total cost of approximately CA$5 billion (US$3.7 billion).
Classed as "continental defence corvettes" (CDCs), the ships will be used primarily for homeland defence with missions including patrols of Canadian waters such as the Gulf of St Lawrence and along Arctic boundaries.
The corvettes will replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Kingston-class coastal defence vessels, which have been in service since the 1990s and are now in the process of being decommissioned.
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, had earlier told the local press that the CDCs will possess the same capabilities as the 1990s-built Halifax-class corvettes.
