Royal Canadian Navy advances with the construction of its first River-class destroyer
Rendering of a River-class vessel. (Photo: Irving Shipbuilding Inc)
Scheduled for delivery by 2033, HMCS Fraser will be a major surface component of the Canadian maritime combat power.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Irving Shipbuilding Inc (ISI) have started the construction of the first River-class destroyer (RCD), HMCS Fraser, after the award in March of the C$8 billion (US$5.8 billion) full-rate production contract to cover the building of the initial batch of three new vessels.
“Based on the current estimates, we expect first ship delivery approximately in 2032/33, with a current goal of delivery of all 15 RCD ships by 2050,” an official spokesperson for the Canadian Department for National Defence (DND) told Shephard.
According to the DND, the RCDs will be the country’s “major
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