Canada awards multibillion-dollar deals for new icebreakers, warships

MILAN — Canada has awarded multibillion-dollar contracts to domestic shipbuilding manufacturers in an effort to boost the country’s naval capabilities with new polar icebreakers and warships.

The federal government announced plans last week to construct two new Arctic icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. The first contract, worth Canadian $3.2 billion (US$2.2 billion), went to Vancouver-headquartered Seaspan, which is set to begin the construction process in April.

The second icebreaker will be built in Levis by the Quebec shipbuilder Davie as part of a $3.3 billion deal. It is expected to be completed by 2030.

Both companies are key players in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, a long-term project seeking to modernize the country’s federal fleet of combat and non-combat vessels.

Seaspan and Davie have both positioned themselves to play important roles as part of the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, which seeks to combine Finnish, Canadian, and U.S. expertise to build advanced ice boats.

While the U.S. has not yet clearly defined its icebreaker requirements and industry strategy, President Donald Trump has said he wants to buy 40 new ones.

Another contract announced last week was to Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding for a new fleet of warships destined for the Canadian Navy. The cost to build the first three River-class destroyers is of approximately $22.2 billion, excluding taxes, according to the Canadian government.

“By investing in our own industry, Canadian workers are helping to build the fleet of the future, equipping the Navy and our members in uniform modern and versatile ships they need for Canada’s important contributions to peace and security at home and abroad,” National Defense Minister Bill Blair said .

These contracts come at a critical time for Ottawa. Over the last month, it has been battling a trade war with its southern neighbor following the imposition of U.S. tariffs on imports from Canada.

On March 9, the Liberal Party of Canada selected Mark Carney as their new leader, succeeding Justin Trudeau as prime minister. The new leader could call for a federal election as early as late April.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——加拿大已向国内造船制造商授予数十亿美元的合同，旨在通过建造新的极地破冰船和军舰来提升该国的海军能力。

加拿大联邦政府上周宣布计划为加拿大海岸警卫队建造两艘新的北极破冰船。第一份合同价值32亿加元（约合22亿美元），授予了总部位于温哥华的Seaspan公司，该公司将于4月开始建造。

第二艘破冰船将由魁北克造船厂戴维公司在莱维斯建造，该项目价值33亿美元。预计将于2030年完工。

这两家公司都是加拿大国家造船战略的关键参与者，该战略是一项旨在实现加拿大联邦作战和非作战舰艇舰队现代化的长期项目。

Seaspan 和 Davie 都已做好准备，在三方破冰船合作计划（ICE Pact）中发挥重要作用。该计划旨在结合芬兰、加拿大和美国的专业知识来建造先进的破冰船。

虽然美国尚未明确界定其破冰船需求和行业战略，但唐纳德·特朗普总统曾表示他想购买 40 艘新破冰船。

上周宣布的另一份合同是授予位于哈利法克斯的欧文造船厂，为其建造加拿大海军的新型军舰。据加拿大政府称，建造首批三艘“河级”驱逐舰的成本约为222亿加元，不含税。

“通过投资我们自己的产业，加拿大工人正在帮助建造未来的舰队，为海军和我们的成员提供统一的、现代化的、多用途的舰艇，以便加拿大为国内外的和平与安全做出重要贡献，”国防部长比尔·布莱尔说。

这些合同对渥太华来说至关重要。过去一个月，由于美国对加拿大进口商品加征关税，加拿大一直在与南部邻国美国进行贸易战。

3月9日，加拿大自由党选举马克·卡尼为新任党魁，接替贾斯汀·特鲁多出任总理。新党魁最早可能在4月下旬宣布举行联邦大选。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。