Question Period Note: CANADIAN SURFACE COMBATANT

Why is the Government buying these ships despite increasing costs and uncertain timelines?

• Canada requires ships that can continue to monitor and defend its waters, and make significant contributions to international naval operations.
• That is why the government is procuring 15 new Canadian Surface Combatant ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.
• The Canadian Surface Combatants will provide Canada with the next generation of ships, capable of conducting naval operations in complex areas.
• These vessels will deliver decisive combat power at sea while supporting operations at home and abroad.
• This project will also help revitalize the Canadian shipbuilding industry, sustaining and creating thousands of high-skill jobs.
• We look forward to cutting steel on the first ship in the 2023-2024 timeframe.
• National Defence will continue to remain open and transparent as the Canadian Surface Combatant project develops.

If pressed on the initial build contract.
* The building of a new class of ships is complex.
* National Defence has made significant progress working with industry since the design contract was awarded in February 2019.
* This process has provided greater clarity regarding the complexity of the ship design, its associated combat systems, and project timelines.
* We anticipate awarding the initial build contract in 2022/2023 for the construction of the first batch of ships.
* We will continue working to ensure the delivery of the first ship in the early 2030s.
* National Defence continues to work closely with our industry partners to find efficiencies and accelerate these new timelines.

QUICK FACTS
Canadian Surface Combatant
* In 2017, Canada’s Defence Policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, included a commitment to building the Canadian Surface Combatants. The estimated budget for the Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) project is $56-$60 billion.
* The ships will be constructed at Irving Shipbuilding Inc., one of the Government’s strategic partners under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
* Construction of the first vessel is set to begin in 2023-24.
* The 15 Canadian Surface Combatants will replace the three retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the 12 Halifax-class frigates.
* First delivery of the capability is expected in the early 2030s, based on the industry-advised build duration estimate of seven and a half years. This estimate, and its underlying assumptions, will be critically examined and updated as the ship design progresses.
* Delivery of the last ship in this class is expected in the mid to late 2040s.
* The project is expected to yield economic benefits including thousands of jobs across Canada through construction and related supply chain and subcontracting activities.
* On February 24, 2021, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report on the CSC project.

Responsible Principals: Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), Royal Canadian Navy