Company to be chosen by 2017 to design new navy ships

A company will be selected by 2017 to design new warships to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s frigates and destroyers, but senior government officials acknowledged Friday they have no idea of the final cost.

The project, known as the Canadian Surface Combatant, will see the building of up to 15 ships. At this point, the budget is estimated at $26 billion.

Senior government officials said they don’t know what the actual cost will be. Delays in building and inflation could increase costs or decrease the number of ships built. “We’re sensitive to the risks in the budget,” an official told journalists at a technical briefing in Ottawa. Under the rules of the briefing, the officials cannot be identified.

Read more