Irving, Canada finalize deal for new coast guard ships

(OTTAWA, Ontario) — Irving Shipbuilding and the government of Canada have finalized a contract to build two additional Arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS) customized for the Canadian Coast Guard at a cost of $1.6 billion, CBC News reported.

The first six AOPS from Nova Scotia-based Irving, known as the Harry DeWolf class, are being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. Three of the ships have been delivered and two more are under construction.

The new contract will expand the class with a modified variant for the Canadian Coast Guard. Construction of the two new ships is expected to start this summer and should be completed by 2026 and 2027.

Royal Canadian Navy photo

Timothy Choi, a naval affairs specialist at the University of Calgary, said the modified variants will be more complex than the ships in the class delivered so far.

“(This is) due to a large number of additional sensors and equipment that the Canadian Coast Guard requires to fulfill its science missions,” he said. “It is not simply a matter of removing the weapons from the Royal Canadian Navy version.”

 

By Rich Miller