Canada put a keel under the HMCS Fraser destroyer. Type River replaces Halifax frigates

On June 12, Halifax shipyards in Nova Scotia held a celebration of the location of the keel of the first River destroyer, the future HMCS Fraser. The ship built by Irving Shipbuilding is to open a series of 15 large submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy and replace the capacity of withdrawn Iroquois-type destroyers and Halifax-type frigates.

HMCS Fraser – the first River destroyer

Position of the future keel HMCS Fraser is one of the most important stages of the Canadian River-class Destroyer program. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Government of Canada, the Ministry of Defence and the shipbuilding industry. Traditionally, a commemorative coin was welded to the part of the keel, the motif of which refers to Simon Fraser and the Fraser River in British Columbia.

In the case of modern ships built by modular method, the location of the keel does not mean the actual beginning of shipbuilding. It is rather a formal and symbolic confirmation of the program's transition into a visible stage of construction. For HMCS Fraser preparations began earlier – with the construction of the test module in June 2024, and full-scale production of the first ship began in April 2025.

Type River as successor to Iroquois and Halifax

River-type destroyers are expected to become the main large vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy. Canada plans to acquire 15 ships of this type under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, a long-term war fleet renewal program and government units.

The program involves the construction of 15 River-type destroyers to replace in the Royal Canadian Navy the capacity of withdrawn Iroquois destroyers and 12 Halifax frigatewho have been in the service since the early 1990s. In practice, this means focusing in one type of ship many tasks: from air defence, to combating submarines and submarines, to maritime control, anti-piracy operations, support for allies and participation in humanitarian and search and rescue missions.

From the perspective of the Royal Canadian Navy, it is important not only to replace older ships, but also to simplify training, maintenance and maintenance of the fleet. A single series of large vessels gives greater logistical predictability than parallel maintenance of several older types with different systems and technical facilities.

Project based on frigate type 26

Canada formally identifies new ships as River-type destroyers, although their design derives from British Type 26 frigatesdeveloped by BAE Systems. This is not an isolated case – modern classifications of navigable vessels are increasingly due not only to buoyancy and armaments, but also to the role that a given vessel is expected to perform in the maritime forces of a given country.

In technical terms, River destroyers will be large vessels with a displacement of about 8,000 tonnes, a length of 151,4 m, a width of 20,75 m and a immersion of about 8 m. The drive is to be configured in the CODLOG system, with the Rolls-Royce MT30, MTU diesel engines and General Electric motors. According to available data, ships are expected to reach a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of approximately 7,000 nautical miles.

The artillery armament is intended to include a 127 mm cannon and two 30 mm cannons. The primary anti-ship weapons will be the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile missiles. There are also vertical launchers Mk 41 Strike Length, capable of using SM-2 Block IIIB and ESSM Block II anti-aircraft missiles, as well as BGM-109 Tomahawk maneuvering missiles. The last layer is to be protected by the RAM system.

The key element of the equipment will be Lockheed radar Martin AN/SPY-7(V)3 and Aegis combat command system with Canadian CTI interface. ZOP capabilities are based on Ultra Electronics S2150 hull sonar and towed sonar with variable depth of immersion. On the stern there will be a landing and hangar for the CH-148 Cyclone deck helicopter.

At the same time, it should be noted that the project is still being developed in parallel with the construction of the first sections of the ship. The final shape of part of the systems can therefore be further clarified with the progress of the programme.

Billion-dollar shipbuilding program

In March 2025 Irving Shipbuilding received a contract worth $8 billion, covering the financing of the first six years of construction and supporting the implementation of the first three River-type ships. The contract shall also include the necessary elements for subsequent operation, including training, spare parts and support for the maintenance of ships in service.

More broadly, the cost of the first batch of three ships is higher, as it includes not only the construction and delivery itself, but also supplies, training, documentation, ammunition, equipment provided by the Government of Canada and programme management costs. This is an important distinction, because in large sea programs, the price of hull and ship equipment alone is only part of the entire bill.

The Canadian government also stresses the industrial dimension of the programme. Between 2025 and 2039, River-class Destroyer's executive contract is expected to bring around $719 million per year to Canadian GDP and support around 5250 jobs per year. The additional economic benefits are to be derived from the consumer spending of the staff involved in the programme.

Halifax Shipyard as a center for the construction of new ships

Construction of River-type destroyers is another step in strengthening the Canadian shipbuilding industry. Irving Shipbuilding has already made deliveries of arctic and sea-going patrol ships of the Harry DeWolf type for the Royal Canadian Navy. From 2020 to 2020 Polish Navy Canada has received six such ships, and by the end of 2027 the shipyard is to pass two more units of this type for Canadian Coast Guard.

This shows that Ottawa does not treat River's program solely as a purchase of new warships. It is also a way to maintain national shipbuilding competences, secure the supply chain and place long-term establishments in Halifax. In this sense, the programme has both military and industrial significance.

Long program at high risk

They're here. HMCS Fraser to be handed over to the Royal Canadian Navy in the early 1930s, while the entire program will be extended for the following decades. Such a long timetable shows the scale of the project, but also its vulnerability to the typical risks of large ship programs: cost increases, configuration changes, supply chain problems and the need to reconcile construction with parallel project development.

Despite these risks, the location of the first River destroyer's keel is a breakthrough for Canada. The program progresses from the design and preparatory phase to the stage in which the new generation of the Royal Canadian Navy's large submarines begins to materialize. For Canada, this means not only modernising the fleet, but also trying to maintain its own shipbuilding industry with one of the most complex ship programmes in its history.