River-class destroyer (Canadian surface combatant)
The design of the future River-class destroyer is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 warship
Overview
The River-class Destroyer (RCD) Project, formerly known as the Canadian surface combatant project, is the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada since World War II. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) chose the River-class name to reflect the uniting and critical natural force of rivers, and their role as an agent of our Canadian landscape, economy, food supply and culture. This name also pays tribute to the honourable and distinguished service of Canada’s past River-class ships and their ships’ companies.
The RCD Project is being delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). It will replace both the retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates with a single class of ship capable of meeting multiple threats on both the open ocean and the highly complex coastal environment. This project will equip the RCN with 15 new state-of-the-art warships to bolster Canada’s naval capabilities at home and abroad, for decades to come.
The RCD ships will be able to conduct a broad range of tasks, in various scenarios, including:
- decisive combat power at sea and support during land operations
- counter-piracy, counterterrorism, interdiction and embargo operations for medium intensity operations
- the delivery of:
- humanitarian aid
- search and rescue
- law and sovereignty enforcement for regional engagements
The RCD Project supports National Defence’s delivery of Canada’s defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence.
Project at a glance
- Shipyard
- Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- Project status
- Design/Build phase
- Number of ships to be built
- 15
- Initial contract value for build and delivery cost of batch 1 (ships 1 to 3)
- $8.0 billion (taxes included)
- First ship delivery
- Early 2030s
Current status
The Government of Canada has awarded the implementation contract for the RCD Project to ISI. The implementation contract outlines the terms, conditions and requirements for constructing the first batch of 3 RCD ships. Full-rate production on the first ship, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Fraser, is underway.
As design completion progresses in parallel with construction, Canada’s definition contract and implementation contract with ISI will be open concurrently for a period of time. The design team from Lockheed Martin Canada (LMC) was competitively selected to provide the RCD design, which is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 frigate. The design team, along with ISI, continues to develop the final design for the RCD.
The year ahead
- Ship design will continue to progress in parallel with construction
- Full-rate production on the first RCD ship will continue. As AOPS are delivered, production hours will shift and will help increase RCD production
Economic benefits
The RCD definition contract is estimated to contribute close to $430 million annually to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) and create or maintain over 3,755 jobs annually over the 2019-2027 period (directly and indirectly). In addition, the associated consumer spending by employees is estimated to contribute close to $144.5 million annually in additional GDP and over 1,325 additional jobs annually to the Canadian economy.
Additionally, the RCD implementation contract is estimated to contribute $719.3 million annually to Canada’s GDP and create or maintain 5,250 jobs annually over the 2025-2039 period (directly and indirectly). In addition, the consumer spending by associated employees is estimated to contribute $191 million annually in additional GDP and 1,545 additional jobs annually to the Canadian economy.
The RCD Project is also delivering on other important NSS priorities, such as providing social and economic benefits for Canada through its Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy.
Progress of the project
- April 25, 2025: Full-rate production on the first RCD ship began
- March 3, 2025: The implementation contract was awarded to ISI to build the first batch of 3 ships
- June 28, 2024: The Government of Canada announced that the first 3 RCD ships will be named HMCS Fraser, HMCS Saint-Laurent and HMCS Mackenzie, after Canada’s most important waterways that reach the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans
- Construction on the production test module began, which has enabled the shipyard to develop and test project-specific build processes, establish new supply chains and drive cost efficiencies by applying lessons learned and ensuring a more streamlined approach as full-rate production progresses
- June 28, 2024: Construction on the production test module began
- August 8, 2023: Canada announced an investment in the RCD Project’s infrastructure at ISI
- The investment is expected to create or maintain over 800 jobs annually across various industries in Canada during the work period
- February 7, 2019: The design and design team contract was awarded to ISI and LMC
- October 19, 2018: The preferred bidder was identified
- July 2018: All bidders submitted final proposals, including financial bids and cured technical bids
- October 2017: The amended request for proposals (RFP) was released
- October 2016: The RCD RFP was released
News
- Government of Canada celebrates National Shipbuilding Strategy milestones at Irving Shipbuilding (June 26, 2025)
- Government of Canada announces contract award for the construction of the River-class destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy (March 8, 2025)
- Construction begins for Canada’s new warship fleet: the River-class destroyers (June 28, 2024)
- Government of Canada announces investment in shipbuilding infrastructure for the Canadian surface combatant (August 8, 2023)
- Government of Canada selects warship design for Canadian surface combatants (February 8, 2019)
- Government of Canada delivers on its commitment to the Navy by announcing next steps in fleet procurement (October 19, 2018)
- Canadian surface combatant request for proposals closes (November 30, 2017)
- Establishment of a closing date for the Canadian surface combatant request for proposals (September 22, 2017)
- Competitive process launched to select design of Canadian surface combatant (October 27, 2016)