Ottawa inks initial contract for new River-class destroyers with Irving

The Royal Canadian Navy's River-class Destroyers, seen in this Government of Canada illustration, will be 'Canada’s major surface component of maritime combat power.'

OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government signed an initial deal with Irving Shipbuilding for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new River-class destroyers.

The implementation contract is worth $8 billion for the first six years and only covers part of the tab for the first three ships -- which will eventually cost $22.2 billion.

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee hailed it as a major step forward for the project meant to replace the Navy’s aging destroyers.

The news comes amid a flurry of news from Ottawa on procurement and appointments, and lands while Parliament is currently on pause while the Liberal party selects its next leader.

The party chooses its replacement for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday amid speculation of an expected early election call sometime after the new leader is sworn in.

A new government would have most likely compounded existing delays to the contract, and Defence Minister Bill Blair had previously said he planned to have the contract signed by the end of last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press