The Canadian frigate HMCS St John’s (340), launched on August 26, 1995 and commissioned in its eponymous city on June 24, 1996, arrived today at Davie shipyard in Lévis (Qc) for a refit. This work is necessary in order to continue to ensure the availability and reliability of the Halifax-class frigates during their operational cycle and their deployments.
It was on July 16, 2019 that Public Services and Procurement Canada announced it would invest more than $ 7.5 billion in the 12 Halifax-class frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy in order to extend their useful life until 2040, when they are to be replaced by Canadian combat ships contracted to be built by Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
As a first step, the government awarded contracts worth a total of $ 1.5 billion to Chantier Davie Canada Inc., Seaspan Victoria Shipyards Limited and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to carry out maintenance work on a first group of Halifax class frigates from Canada.
These initial five-year contracts guarantee a minimum of 3 frigates for each shipyard. These contracts are expected to rise in value as additional work packages are added.
RCN
The contracts are expected to create or sustain up to 400 jobs at each shipyard, plus hundreds of related jobs for marine sector suppliers and subcontractors across the country.
The Royal Canadian Navy has demanded that at least 8 of the 12 frigates be deployed at all times to meet the Navy’s commitment to the Government of Canada.
