The US State Department has approved an FMS package for Canada worth an estimated $500 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 5 November.
Raytheon is the prime contractor on the deal, which features 100 Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and 100 MK 13 Vertical Launch Systems modified to fire the SM-2 Block IIIC.
Also included are logistics support, obsolescence engineering and integration and test activities.
‘This proposed sale will provide Canada with SM-2 Block IIIC missiles for installation on its planned 15 Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ships, ensuring its ability to operate alongside U.S. and Allied naval forces against the full spectrum of naval threats,’ the DSCA noted.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the CSC vessels will replace the existing Royal Canadian Navy Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class frigates once these older ships are retired in the 2030s.
The CSC programme is expected to start in the early 2020s with the first ships to be delivered by the end of the decade.
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Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (4-15) [Canada]
Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (1-3) [Canada]
The expansion of the Redstone facility in Alabama will enable Raytheon to increase production of Standard Missiles in the location by 50% and support Washington in refilling stockpiles after recent operations have depleted the Pentagon’s reserves.
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.
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