Breaking News!!! MP Bill Blair Halifax Navy Ship Announcement Ohh River 6/28/2024

Breaking News!!! MP Bill Blair Halifax Navy Ship Announcement Ohh River 6/28/2024
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Here is the National Defence Press Release
June 28, 2024 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, joined by Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Dirk Lesko, President of Irving Shipbuilding Inc., celebrated the start of construction activities for Canada’s new fleet of Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC).

Minister Blair and Vice-Admiral Topshee also announced that the new fleet of warships will be known as River-class destroyers, and the first three ships will be named His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Fraser, Saint-Laurent, and Mackenzie.

Ship names are chosen carefully, and they tell the story of the RCN. Not only are these three ships named after Canada’s most important waterways that reach the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans, they are also a tribute to previous Canadian warships with the same names – ships that made heroic wartime contributions and represented cutting-edge technological innovation. The RCN intends to foster a sense of pride in our sailors by connecting these ships to Canada’s maritime heritage.

The CSC project is the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada since the Second World War and represents a historic investment into the recapitalization of the RCN’s surface fleet. This project will equip the RCN with new, state-of-the-art warships to bolster Canada’s naval capabilities at home, and abroad, for decades to come. The River-class will be Canada’s major component of maritime combat power, enabling us to continue to monitor and defend our own coastal waters, and contribute significantly to international naval operations alongside our Allies.

Today marked the start of construction on the production test module (PTM), through which the Government of Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. will be able to test and streamline processes, and implement lessons learned into the build process, to enable the start of full rate production in 2025. Delivery of the first River-class destroyer, HMCS Fraser, is expected in the early 2030s, with the final ship expected by 2050.

The CSC project will support sustainable growth in Canada’s marine supply chain. The build phase of CSC will create and/or maintain approximately 10,800 jobs annually throughout the 25-year construction period across the country. The design phase of the project will create and/or maintain approximately 5,000 Canadian jobs annually across the economy. In total, this project will generate at least $40 billion in cumulative Gross Domestic Product.

As indicated in our renewed vision for defence, Our North, Strong and Free, the Government of Canada is committed to a renewed relationship with Canada’s defence industry, based on clarity, certainty, and long-term partnership. The CSC project is an excellent example of how the Government of Canada is investing in Canada’s domestic shipbuilding industry, while also equipping the RCN with a fleet of modern and effective ships to support operations well into the future.

The CSC is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 warship design being built by the United Kingdom and Australia. The ships will have enhanced underwater sensors, state-of-the-art radar, and modern weapons.

The official NATO Ship Designator for the River-class warship will be DDGH – a destroyer (DD), guided (G) missile, helicopter (H) capable. As the RCN’s next generation combat ship, it replaces both the Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates. As a powerful and multi-functional ship, the River-class warship is by definition a destroyer: a fast, manoeuvrable, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine long-endurance warship, which can escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats.

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[Music] Minister Mr Irving distinguished guests uh This truly is a great day for the Royal Canadian 10 years ago I was the base commander in Halifax just as the national ship building strategy was beginning and as this facility was being built to stand here today surrounded by ships looking up and knowing that aop 6 right here the future Robert Hampton gray will shortly be launched and delivered to the Canadian Navy is a magnificent feeling and a testament to what has been build here in navies our ships are known by their Sailors the Royal can Navy has always been proud of the incredible quality of those Sailors what gives me a particular Delight to be here today is the fact that as I have visited this yard I’ve had the chance to interact with many of you and I can attest to the incredible quality of this Workforce your commitment to deliver the best possible ships for Canada and your desire to get the job done right done quickly and done on budget and it is amazing to see the success that you’ve had ship over ship so thank you so much for those incredible efforts on our [Applause] [Music] behalf first of all thank you Darren for that kind introduction but for acknowledging the most important people that are here as the people that are going to do the work for us vice admiral toi Minister Smith president Lesco Jim members of the Canadian Armed Forces and of course all of the Irving ship Builders it’s a very great privilege and honor to be here with you all this morning it’s not my first visit to the shipyard but every time I come here it’s an inspiration it’s an inspiration that reminds me of the importance of the work that you do and the promise of of the future for Canada let me also begin as others have done by acknowledging first of all the passing of the late and great James Irving I’d like to offer my condolences to his family friends and the entire Irving organization James Irving was among the greatest advocates for Atlantic Canada will always be remembered as a Visionary a proud Canadian a generous philanthropist a father a grandfather great-grandfather and a man who has led to a better future for this community and for our country now throughout our nation’s history Canadians have always been able to count on a strong capable and professional Royal Canadian Navy to keep them safe that’s not always been an easy task Canada has one of the longest coastlines of any country in the world we’re surrounded by three oceans we are at once an Arctic a Pacific and an Atlantic nation and the security of all three oceans is essential to our national security and our national prosperity and during the world wars the Korean War the gulf conflict in the Middle East and well beyond the Canadian Navy has been there and continues to be there to defend our interest and stand up for our values and today we are here to begin a new chapter in the proud history of the Royal Canadian Navy today we are officially launching construction for the Canadian service combatant project and this project is going to deliver a new Fleet of 15 warships for the Royal Canadian Navy it is the largest ship building initiative that Canada has undertaken since the second world war it’s a historic investment in the Canadian Armed Forces and in Canada security it’s going to deliver for our Sailors a modern Deployable highly capable warship Fleet it’s going to be able to deliver decisive combat power at Sea this Fleet will defend Canada it will protect our national interest and it will be there to support our allies our new Canadian service combatants will be able to meet threats in the open ocean and and around our coasts they’re going to have enhanced underwater sensors to allow for early detection of submarines they’re going to have state-of-the-art radar they’re going to contain modern weapons allowing them to conduct a wide range of missions right around the world this Fleet will also be interoperable with our closest allies and our partners it shares a design with similar fleets in the United Kingdom and Australia and it allows us to work closely together and to share our experiences and our missions the construction work that begins today it’s going to allow Irving to test and streamline its building processes and prepare for the start of full rate production next year and delivery of the first ship is expected in the early 2030s and the final ship expected by 2050 now this investment is going to deliver obviously for the Royal Canadian Navy and our National Defense but it also delivers results for Canadians and perhaps most importantly for Canadian workers throughout the entire 25-year construction period we expect this project is going to create and sustain more than 10,000 jobs and generate over $40 billion from the Canada’s gross domestic product I also believe that the path we are setting on our for ourselves today will lead to sustainment of those jobs and those opportunities well beyond 2050 I think and believe very strongly the defense policy is also industrial policy today is a prime example and I want to express my gratitude to our strategic partner here at Irving ship building for the important work that that we do together the Canadian service combatant project is part of Canada’s national ship building strategy it’s a long-term project to renew our national Fleet and to renew Canada’s ship building capability for the Next Generation through this strategy we’re also acquiring six Arctic offshore Patrol vessels from the Canadian Navy also being built right here at Irving in Halifax Irving’s world-class ship Builders have developed remarkable skill and expertise throughout this project and I am very confident they they will bring their professionalism and knowledge to the new Fleet as well finally I have the opportunity to share with you today the name for this new class of ships and I’m proud to announce that the Canadian surface combatants will be known as River class destroyers rivers are a key element from canas landscape and our history and so the first three of our warships built right here at iring will be named the Fraser the salon and the McKenzie these are three of kena’s most important waterways that place I have to say for me it’s pretty exciting to be here on the first day of a new history and and it’s going to be a proud history of serving this country the rivers that I mentioned are three of Canada’s most important waterways they reach the Pacific the Atlantic and the Arctic oceans and I know that our Sailors will serve aboard these ships with remarkable Pride knowing that they represent our country’s long and proud Maritime Heritage to everyone here at Irving as I look around this room and up up on on the Rafters I am extraordinarily confident in our future because of your commitment your pride your expertise but to all people in this room thank you thank you for the work that you are doing to provide our Navy with the modern tools that they will need to defend Canada and as as Darren has indicated the Global Security environment is changing rapidly these ships are going to ensure that our Navy remains true to its model of ready I ready and finally if I may to all members of the Royal Canadian Navy thank you for your service thank you for your commitment to Canada today is truly a historic day in our Navy’s history and it’s part of a history that is proud it’s part of a history that is really quite remarkable every Canadian should know and remember and feel pride in the service of their Navy with the Milestone we’re reaching today I am more confident than ever in their future that that confidence comes from the remarkable men and women who serve in our Navy and the remarkable men and women who work in this yard thank you very very much everyone mer C and now if I may I’d like you to turn your attention to a video that has been prepared Rivers year for the sea rivers are the veins of our nation rivers are a critical natural force in our landscape our economy and Royal Canadian Naval History we are proud to introduce the next class of Canadian [Applause] warships the river class is a guided missile destroyer with radar that can detect threats from the surface all the way into space these next Generation destroyers will be Canada’s major surface combatant the first three ships will be named after Canada’s most important waterways that reach the Pacific Atlant Atlantic and Arctic oceans they will be named hmcs Fraser hmcs song and hmcs McKenzie the landbased test facility will be named hmcs Asino after one of our most stored ships the aoin river does not flow into the ocean A fitting name for this facility the naming of ministers if I can can ask you to look straight ahead for 8 [Music] seconds thank you very much finding that Construction contract is really important I I had the opportunity to have a meeting with Mr Irving and Mr lecho this morning here at Irving we were with the Admiral there was a number of conversations about the next steps the work that we have to do I think we’re well on the way to to finalizing a Construction contract we’re hoping to have that done by the end of this year but I think when you’re spending taxpayer dollars and when the job is as complex as Irving has shared with us it’s really important that we get that construction um contract right that that it’s a very clear understanding of what will be delivered how long it will take and how much it will cost that work is well underway it’s it’s a culmination of several years working together and we’re I’m very confident that we’ll have that construction cost for contract completed by year end and at the same time um there are some things that we can start right now it’s one one see reasons you see this morning we begun to cut SC how important is it at 2035 before uh really the first ship of the operational to a briefing how important is it that this move very important we also we we’re currently in the process of replacing the Halifax frigs the Halifax frigs have performed remarkable service for the last 30 5 years in Canada but they are also reaching the end of their life cycle and so some part of the work that we also do here with Irving is the maintenance of that Al that sleep I think the symmetry of this the Ship Repair and maintenance yard with the new ship building yard I think there’s a great opportunity in that because the workforce the skills that are required in both jobs are really important but we know that the life cycle of the Halifax plate is beginning to reach its end and becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and so delivery of the new service combat ships we have said the first by the early 2030s what the obal has clearly articulated to Irving is that we need the first nine by 2040 and and so that’s what we’re working towards that that that contract um is going to be able to articulate for us we know that there’s an enormous amount of work but one of the things that we’ve learned I’ll share with you in the building of the Arctic AAL Patrol vessels that that also took place here you know we learned a great deal in the production process of the first year and Irving I think has done an extraordinary job as the world Indian Navy in refining their requirements and and doing a better job on each successive Bill we’ve seen it being done much faster at lower cost and at higher quality and so all of that work informs the next phase of our efforts for the surface combatants because we we we have the lessons that we have learned in the in the construction of the Artic offure Patrol and I’m very confident that that all of that learning will be incorporated into the new build and enable us to deliver it on time How likely you can get this contract done before an election is called and this get put off through I to be quite honest with you I feel a strong sense of urgency both the roal Canadian Navy and the Iran Shipyard need that contract in place that work is is has been we’ve been at it for a number of years we we’re very close to finalizing and I’m very confident we’ll get it done before El Minister what do you think of Biden’s performance last night at the presidential debate I didn’t have an opportunity quite frankly we pretty busy in dealing with matters of cerada as National Defense and and so you know I I’ve seen some of the commentary uh regarding it I think it’s going to be up to American citizens to make a decision in November as to Le the right choice for them debates are always important part